|
3rd Igorot Cordillera BIMAAK Europe (ICBE) Consultation, Switzerland 2005 |
|
United Igorots in Europe |
|
The Story of the 3rd ICBE Consultation By Ricardo Cuyob, Dominga Webber and Yvonne Belen
The Igorots and Cordillerans in Europe - homesick of the Philippine Cordillera with its mountains, forests and rivers – chose to hold their 3rd Igorot Cordillera [BIMAAK]-Europe (ICBE) consultation in a peaceful corner in Aeschi, Switzerland. Here they saw, for four days, the panorama of the snow-capped mountain tops of the Swiss Alps. Their conference, which started in the evening of 5 May and ended at noon of 8 May 2005, had as its theme, “Our Igorot Cordillera Culture: Heritage and Social Integration.” BIBAK-Switzerland hosted the consultation. In Europe, the participants came from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; overseas, from Israel, Philippines and the USA. The organizations represented were: Igorot Association Austria (Igo Austria), Cordillera Community in Belgium (Cordi-Bel), BIBAK Ireland, BIBAK-Switzerland, Igorot-UK, Association of Igorot Migrant Workers in Israel, BIMAK Washington DC, Igorot Global Organization (IGO) and IGO Philippines. There were 87 participants, of which 56 were first generation Igorots; 20, second generation and 11, supporters. A Warm Welcome Upon arrival, the participants immediately noticed the friendly atmosphere. BIBAK- Switzerland welcomed them in different ways. Fred Labfayong met some who flew in at Zurich airport; Julio Monico, Rick Kilongan, Walter Labaya and Bart Aliten fetched those who arrived at Spiez train station; Christa Monico and Juerg Hafner were the mainstay during the registration; Henry Foken and Frederick Baldo carried the luggage to the rooms; and the other members - Lolit Hafner-Monico, Violeta Passerini, Rebecca Riesterer, Sabina Kuenzi, Martin Koller, Claire Koller and Angie Wunderle were at the hotel lobby with their smiling faces. The lobby was filled with laughter as old friends saw each other again. In the evening, the participants gathered for the opening programme. Claire and Martin Koller formed a team as masters of ceremonies. The programme began with a turn-over ritual, from the host of the 2nd Igorot European Consultation held in Austria to the host of the 3rd ICBE Consultation. Patrick Bounggick, former president of Igo Austria, chanted an uggayam and handed a shield to Henry Foken, president of BIBAK Switzerland. After Henry accepted the shield, he sang a welcome song he composed in the Bontoc dialect. Rick Kilongan gave the welcome message and among other things, he said, “For most of us, this time is a unique opportunity to meet and bond with fellow Igorots/Cordillerans in and outside Europe and overseas.” Then Fred Labfayong delivered a message. Later, the participants from each country introduced themselves. And they had a minute of silence for the late Rex Botengan, president of the IGO, who passed on in December 2004. Finally, Lolit Hafner-Monico, over-all coordinator of the 3rd ICBE consultation, gave the briefing. Towards the end of her talk, she expressed, “The challenges now are: how do we connect or strengthen our younger generation to the Igorot culture and heritage, how do we emphasize the reinforcement of link to our homeland and what do the youth think of all these challenges?” Our Culture: Pass It On With these challenges, the delegates set out on the second day to tackle the question at hand, which was: “What is it in our culture that we want to pass on to the next generation?” They listened to Maria Christina (Mia) Apolinar-Abeya from Bontoc, Mountain Province and now residing in Maryland, USA, who presented her input on culture in a simple and comprehensive manner. She discussed culture in general, presented cultural models and fitted them in to the culture of the Igorot ancestors. She talked on concepts and their applicability to the present generation. And she gave suggestions of what must be passed on. Mia came out with several questions: Are the dances and songs the path to our children’s connection to our culture? Can we possibly say that if we taught our children how to beat the gongs and how to dance the takik or balangbang or other dances, we have passed on the values of our culture to them? What is the significance of these dances and songs? Why does an Igorot mother always carry her young on her back while she continues to work the daily chores? Why do old folks have a solemn look on their faces when they are performing a ritualistic dance? Why does it take so long to weave a native blanket or create a tapis? Why does a new widow(er) withdraw from social activities for a whole year? Why must we feed a village during a union of a man and a woman? Why do we even talk to a dead person?” Then she concluded, “If we took time to come up with answers to these questions, we will find that almost every ‘why’ is due to a value worth looking into and worth teaching our children.”
Later, the participants listened to Severino (Rhino) Oblas from Benguet, presently living in Germany, who talked on the Kankana-ey’s and Ibaloi’s beliefs and practices. He also spoke on rituals and positive effects of traditional customs, beliefs and rituals. And he presented how the “Mambunongs” (the keepers of the Kankana-ey’s and Ibaloi’s beliefs and who perform the proper rituals for specific belief) are open to acculturation and modification. After the talks, there were workshop discussions, But before the participants went to their workshops groups, there was a surprise intermission number. Juerg Hafner invited an alphorn player, who did a 15 minute performance. For a while, everyone imagined they were up in the mountains listening to the alphorn player. During the workshops, the first generation Igorots answered the question, “What are the core values and other aspects of the Igorot culture we hold dear and special, which we want to pass on to the next generation?” And the second generation answered the question, “What are the core values and other aspects of the Igorot culture that we want to have?” According to the first generation Igorots, the aspects of the Igorot culture they want to pass on are: 1. Bagbaga or counselling from elders. This is done during meetings in the dap-ay, or during weddings or rituals like senga. Bagbaga helps promote cooperation like og-ogbo. 2. Having family gatherings. Family gatherings like ag-agong or ngilin are occasions to remember ancestors and relatives. Remembering is significant because it “reawakens” the Igorot identity. 3. Bringing the children home. The goal is for the children to know their roots. 4. The bodong or peace pact as a tribal institution to resolve conflicts. 5. Belief that mountains, rivers, forests and trees are gifts from Kabunyan. Village folk take only what they need, which is an effective means to manage natural resources. 6. Respect for customary laws. During tengaw, the residents are prohibited to leave the village and visitors are refused entry. 7. Appreciation of indigenous food preparation. Safeng was the food cited. A comparison of the advantages of safeng and yoghurt as fermented products was made. 8. Rituals that convey meanings like uggayam, ullalim or da-ing. 9. Indigenous knowledge, artefacts and symbols that tell the history and lives of Igorots. Some examples of indigenous knowledge are rice wine making and back strap weaving. It is important to explain that the sharing of the rice wine is a means of binding friendship and the designs in the Igorot costumes have meanings. As for the second generation, the core values of the Igorot culture they want to have are: 1. instilling the importance of education among the youth; 2. encouraging hard work ethic; 3. instilling the importance of close family values and sanctity of marriage; 4. taking on the community spirit through gatherings and social activities; 5. the traits of caring and concern for fellow Igorots; 6. the trait of respect for elders; 7. values in performing rituals and understanding their value and 8. continuing to learn more dances/music/art forms. More Workshop Sessions In the afternoon, there were workshops on specific topics of interest, which were: aging migrants, retirement in the Philippines, Cordillera issues and migrant concerns, and stories of our Igorot culture. The second generation also had their workshop and decided on their topics. The workshop recommendations of the first generation participants were: 1. further discussion of aging migrants and retirement in future consultations; 2. the conceptualization of an association, which is a legitimate body duly registered, for overseas Filipino workers and their spouses to ensure the protection of the retirees. 3. conduct widespread information on the impact of the 1995 Mining Act and the operations of transnational mining corporations (TNMC) on the livelihood, environment, culture and right to self-determination of the Cordillera people; 4. call on the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the provincial officials in the Cordillera to create a Commission on Migrant Workers and Their Families to protect and advance migrant rights and 5. to publish stories on Igorot culture to include practices of birth, child rearing, sickness, marriage and daily life practices. In their workshop group, the second generation Igorots noted there were few of them who attended the consultation. Their recommendations were: 1. to attract others to attend, there should be activities for younger Igorots like games; outings; workshops on how to play traditional instruments, how to use Igorot tools such as liga-o, lusong (pagbayu-an) etc., and 2. the leaders of each country should be contacted to get the members or names of the 2nd generation Igorots in each organization. Other presentations During the morning session, Cordi-Bel, represented by Ric Cuyob, gave a review of the 2nd Igorot European Consultation held in 2003. In the afternoon, Caridad Fiar-od moderated the other presentations, which were: updates on the Igorot International Consultation-6 (IIC-6); showing of “Bontoc Eulogy,” made by Marlon Fuentes; and the video showing of the IIC-5 held in July 2004 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. “Bontoc Eulogy” is a film on the Igorots who were brought to St. Louis, Missouri for exhibition at the 1904 World’s Fair. After the reactions and counter reactions, the participants resolved that the issue on supporting Igorot film producers is brought to the IIC-6 planning committee for consideration, to include the protection of intellectual property rights of Igorots in their creative or literary-arts work. With the power point presentation, Caridad Fiar-od did an excellent job of promoting the IIC-6 and entertaining the audience with her jokes and punch lines. Paz Awingan-Aptimes, IIC-6 Coordinator, and Claus Nabert collaborated to make the IIC-6 power point presentation. Aareschlucht (Aare gorge) and Interlaken The third day, Saturday, was a sightseeing day with Juerg Hafner as the tour guide. While the delegates sat in the bus and viewed the lofty mountain peaks, thick forest, waterfalls and lakes, Juerg kept their minds occupied with information on the places they were passing through. Earlier, when everyone was seated in the bus, he announced, “There’s going to be a quiz about the tour and there will be a prize.” Although many listened attentively, few were able to get the correct answers to win a prize, a Swiss knife. The first stop was a view point, where the mountain peaks, covered with snow, could be seen at a distance and where the delegates could look at Lake Brienz and the city of Interlaken. Second stop was Aareschlucht, a gorge cut by the river Aare. Here they followed the viewing platforms to go deep into the gorge. Finally, the bus parked in Interlaken, where many went shopping for souvenirs. Some bought music boxes; others, cuckoo clocks. While the delegates found many souvenir items expensive, they squeezed their budget and managed to buy attractive and simple souvenirs to remember Switzerland. A Merging of Cultures at the Gala Night The Gala Night on Saturday evening was a much awaited event. There were yodellers coming. They were members of a local group from the community of Aeschi, the Jodlergruppe Alpengruss Aeschiried, who were invited by Juerg and Lolit Hafner. The participants thought they would only hear the yodellers yodel. But when the yodellers entered the hall with each one holding a huge cow bell and swaying it, everyone in the hall was in for a surprise. The sound of the cow bells reverberated throughout the hall. The yodellers walked up to the stage, came down and walked back again to the stage. It was a grand entrance. The Swiss farmers not only yodelled, but also played the accordion. Afterwards, the Igorots came in, in their full costume, with the men beating the gongs and the women walking beside them. It was an equally grand entrance. They performed a group dance, Balangbang, and a courtship dance, Takik. The yodellers and their spouses enjoyed the evening’s activity while the Igorot delegates found it as the most exceptional cultural night they ever attended and participated. At a certain point during the program, the yodellers with their cow bells and the Igorots with their gongs tried to blend their two musical instruments and “Hurray”! It was wonderful. In spite of the difficulty of communicating verbally, the yodellers and Igorots managed, through gestures, to make their “cow bells and gongs” produce an extraordinary music. What the programme committee originally planned as a cultural reaching out turned to be a cultural exchange of sorts, with the yodellers and Igorots showing part of their cultures through their musical instruments “their cow bells and gongs;” their songs, chants and dances; and their beautiful traditional attire. Furthermore, some of the yodellers took the courage to taste jar-fermented rice wine called tapuy prepared by the Igorots. The yodellers also ate some Philippine delicacies. The participants would leave the responsibility to BIBAK-Switzerland to pursue and build stronger contact and nurture the good impressions, which were initially exchanged with the yodellers of the Aeschi community. Her Excellency Rora Navarro-Tolentino, Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland, came and delivered a speech. She appreciated and recommended the efforts of the Igorots wherever they are, to gather and try to do something to promote their dignity as a people and contribute to human prosperity, peace and harmony. She stayed throughout the programme, participated in the cultural dances and joined the picture taking. Once again, Martin and Claire Koller formed a vibrant team as masters of ceremonies. In the evaluation, a participant wrote: The cultural night will be forever remembered and the effort of the BIBAK-Switzerland. Impressive. Rarely to see the Igorot tradition performed side by side with the tradition of the local community, it’s once in a lifetime. We could also blend our culture to the other cultures if we try and are willing to. Farewell and The Future The last day of the consultation began with a liturgical celebration led by the Rev. Cesar Taguba. The celebration culminated the discussions on Igorot culture and the social issues confronting the Igorots abroad and in the Cordillera. It integrated an aspect of the Igorot culture, which is the belief in a Supernatural Being, “Kabunyan.” Throughout the consultation, the religious aspect in the Igorot culture was manifested. Nearly every delegate consciously expressed or acknowledged that “Kabunyan” is present and guiding them in many ways. A part of the programme was for Lolit Hafner-Monico to turn over the responsibility of hosting the ICBE consultation. After being assured of the participants’ support, Judith Balangyao and Jane Gavino of BIBAK Ireland accepted the responsibility to host the 4th ICBE Consultation in 2007 in Ireland. Like the previous conferences, the 3rd ICBE consultation was self-sufficient. Violeta Passerini delivered the closing message, and she mentioned, “…let me share the compliments to each and everyone of you who participated because, for what is a party without the guests, be it simple or lavishly prepared.” Finally, the participants listened to Dr. Albert Bacdayan as he chanted his closing message. He thanked ICBE, most especially BIBAK Switzerland, for hosting the consultation. And he reminded the participants, A ket sapay koma ta And so I hope Adda maysa ken maysa that each one Ket ayabana didiay summons Makuna idiay Kaigorotan what they call in Igorotland Nga ab-abi-ik the soul Ta isublina idiay nagapuan na and return it where it came from Ta narigat ti ab-abi-ik nga mapanawan because it’s hard to leave your soul Ti maysa nga lugar… in a place.
No rumuar kayo idiay When you leave Kuwarto yo a your rooms Ket kunayo yo, Then you say ‘Intayon amin.’ ‘Let’s all go’ Intayon amin ta narigat ti mabati ‘Let’s all go because it’s hard to left behind’ Masapul manen ti adda manok nga maparti… You need to butcher a chicken again.
And so ended a conference held at Hotel Friedegg in the Berner Oberland, one of the regions in the Swiss Alps. The word “friedegg” means “peaceful corner.” The Igorot and Cordillerans will long remember this peaceful corner for it was here where they shared ideas and experiences on their culture. And it was also here where they blended their culture with the Swiss farmers of Aeschi. They both have a cultural heritage to preserve and pass on to the next generation. |
|
Participants’ expectations of the 3rd ICBE Consultation Collated by Dominga Webber A total of 87 participants registered, of which 85% have contributed their expectations for this report. These are as follows: 1. To have in-depth understanding of Igorot Culture. 2. To learn the varying practices of other Igorot tribes. 3. To have fellowship with Igorots in Europe and learn of their host countries. 4. To renew friendship and to make new ones. 5. To observe and have a better understanding of the Igorot people. 6. To look into the organisation. 7. To learn of the vision, mission of the organisation. 8. To have fun. 9. To experience the aura and fauna of the Swiss Alps, and integrate with the Swiss people. 10. To conclude the theme ‘What is in our culture, we hold dear that we want to pass on to the next generation.’ From my point of view, the consultation was satisfactory in meeting expectations as the main topic was the core values of Igorot culture which was brilliantly presented by Mia Abeya and further highlighted by Severino Oblas; who explained the practices of the ‘Ibaloi’ tribe of Benguet. The positive reports from different workshop groups were proof enough that we have learned something from the consultation. It was also inspiring to know that the youth took an active interest considering they will be carrying the torch of the Igorot culture, nurtured by the first generation Igorots. The friendly and relaxed atmosphere was instantly noticeable the moment the delegates arrived and a strong fellowship was constant throughout the consultation spiced by Caridad Fiar-od’s seemingly endless wit. The camaraderie was enjoyed by everyone, and allowed new friendships to be forged and old ones strengthened. The breath taking scene of the snow-capped mountains, the natural beauty of the gorge and the serene lakes were spectacular. With the shopping at the Interlaken and chances to win prizes during the tour being added bonuses. A well deserved thank you should go to Juerg, our tour operator who was all too happy to show us around his beautiful country. The culmination of the consultation came during the Gala night, where the merging of Igorot and Swiss culture was personified in a performance involving traditional Swiss bell ringing and indigenous Igorot dances. It was an evening of fun with impressive presentations from both cultures where knowledge of each other’s customs was gained through the exchange of musical instruments and costumes. Even the occasionally challenging language barrier did not hinder anybody’s enjoyment. The organising committees, although small in number and geographically spread-out, demonstrated their strength as an organisation through their hard work and careful planning which resulted in a very successful event. Without the help of many non-Igorots the Consultation would not have been possible. Martin Koller, who along with his wife Claire mastered the ceremonies, Christa Monico being responsible for the registration and finances, Juerg Hafner; who sacrificed valuable amounts of his own time to technically assist the Consultation which was coordinated by his wife Lolit. The endless support of other BIBAK Switzerland members was equally invaluable, for instance Fred Labfayong, responsible for advertising which brought a considerable number of non-European guests to the consultation. As well as all the other BIBAK members including Julio, Henry, Violeta, Rebecca, Angie, Rick, Walter, Bart, Frederick and Sabina who made it a worthwhile event to be shared and enjoyed by all. Of course let’s not forget the many delegates who made sacrifices too and travelled from all corners of the globe, including the Philippines, in order to attend and make it a success. For without these people there would have been no conference at all. So now we look onwards to the 4th ICBE Consultation in Ireland, and from what we experienced in Switzerland, 2007 is going to have a lot of work on it’s hands in order to top this year. |
|
A Day to Day Account of the ICBE Conference: An Affair to Remember By Caridad Fiar-od
(Note: This was culled out from My Travelogue from May 1 to May 29, 2005, which I like to share to those interested as means of acknowledging people or recalling events, places, and names) Kabunyan is Great! ICBE Day 1, May 5, 2005. With Reto Ruttiman, a Swiss student who did his research at Mountain Province State Polytechnic College, and Airen, we got a bus from Zug to Zug Central train station, got the train to Lucern and at Trafic Cafe at the train station, we were met by Angie Wunderle, then she drove for us to their home where we met her husband who took us to Hotel Friedegg in Aeschi passing through tunnels one after the other, lakes, dairy farms, chateaus, chalets, hotels, etc. At 4 p.m. we were registering for the ICBE conference. Our luggage were carried to our assigned rooms by the committee members Frederick Baldo, Bart Aliten, Julian Monico, Ric Kilongan and others, while Christa Monico and Juerg Hafner attended to registrants at the registration desk. We were then met by the conference organizers Lolit and Juerg Hafner, Sabina Kuenzi, Violie Passerini, Rebecca Riesterer and others. Then at dinner, we started to acquaint ourselves with some German words as Juerg Hafner, a Swiss and Igorot by affinity, acted as English interpreter for the Swiss-German hotel manager who welcomed us at dinner time. This time, I learned to say `danke' for thank you, 'damen' for women. With Claire and Martin Kohler as dignified emcees at the ethnic-inspired hall that gave a truly Cordillera atmosphere in a Swiss environment, the ICBE Conference commenced with the welcome program. After the program, it was time for the 'kakanference' as we sipped our tea/coffee together. We chatted with other delegates overseas, Mia Abeya, Nellie and Henry Pit-og, Caroline and Albert Bacdayan, Elizabeth Omengan from the USA. The most number of attendees second to Switzerland were those from Austria headed by Cristabel 'Dono' and Patrick Bounggick. I heard familiar voices and faces as I greeted Ingerith Pooten, Dominga and Douglas Webber, Theresa Bangsoy, Cecile Cobcobo, and Elizabeth Buking from the UK; Peter Agnaonao and Ric Cuyob from Belgium, Marjorie Lev from Israel, Fely Bongalos with her two healthy sons Val and Valiant, the Banban family and many more. As we got acquainted, we started to scrutinize each other's name tags for any change of names and for names we can not remember. Since I did not get my nametag yet, I used price tag instead. I advertised my books at CHF 10.00 each. The selling was attended to by my co-Philippine attendees, who were: Airen Kalley, Rose B. Madadsec, Luzviminda O. Tuazon. While others went to rest before 12 midnight, some of us continued to talk about many other things at random from 'A to Z', 'the sunshine and the rain', 'the good, the sweet, and the tasty' spiced with 'stories for adults only'. Unknowingly we saw the Swiss time as 4 a.m. that we had to give justice to the hotel beds. ICBE Day 2, May 6, 2005. This day was the ICBE unique and symbolic formal opening program with an Igorot ritual by Patrick Bounggick and Henry Foken, the ICBE-Switzerland President and the opening remarks by Fred Labfayong. The ritual reflected the spirituality of Igorots as they acknowledged Kabunyan. This was immediately followed by the substantive PowerPoint presentation of Mia and enriched by Rhino Oblas on the topic, "What is it in Igorot culture that should be passed on to the second generation." The presentations provided a springboard to the workshops in the morning. By each group's peculiar ways, there were workshop output presentations in the afternoon. Making the topic comprehensive was the 2nd generation's active participation facilitated and reported by Ingerith Pooten. The afternoon session continued with the thematic workshops with assigned facilitators/moderators. Themes were on issues affecting elderly migrants facilitated by Conchita Pooten who just arrived from the UK, Cordillera issues by Cesar Taguba, Igorot stories by Yvonne Belen, retirement issues by Dono Bounggick and 2nd generation issues by Ingerith Pooten. In the evening was the thematic workshop output presentation, the IIC-6 Promotion, film viewing of IIC-5 in St. Louis, Missouri and the Bontoc Eulogy DVD. There was open forum, reactions, interaction, discussions on the films viewed which resulted in some resolutions with possible solutions. While it was already late, there was the general rehearsal in preparation for the grand Gala night on May 7, 2005. ICBE Day 3, May 7, 2005. The day of the educational tour guided by Juerg Hafner, who was very knowledgeable of all facts and events. To some of us, it was a recall of the reality of what we learned in the grades like that of William Tell, Heidi, the UN, Red Cross, the cow bells, the Swiss knives, the cheese and chocolates, the chateaus, the chalets, etc. The tour did not only fully satisfy the eyes but including the brain. With Juerg’s competence in guiding, he explained the history and symbolism of every historic spot. He conducted a quiz after the tour with the exclusion of Swiss citizens and courtesy of Juerg, Swiss knives were given as incentives to the 10 who scored 11 and above. Unfortunately, I did not make it to the top. In the evening was the Gala Night which highlighted and punctuated the conference with the focus on social integration. The grand entrance of the Swiss Yoddlers with the sound of their cow bells as well as the equally grand Igorot procession with their gongs truly amused everybody including the Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland, Hon. Rora Navarro-Tolentino. Her message was relevant and material to the ICBE attainment of objectives. ICBE Day 4, May 8, 2005. There was ecumenical service officiated by Cesar that integrated cultural chants. After the service was the formal turnover of the symbol of responsibility from Lolit Hafner to next host of ICBE, then the informal presentations facilitated by Dono, continuation of unfinished business facilitated by Consing that resulted to the raising of informal resolutions, then announcements by Yvonne. As everybody was motivated, the hotel manager had to extend the stay for some hours to give time to the giving of individual impressions, time for getting of telephone numbers, time for buying more books, time to say 'danke', time for the hugging, kissing, 'good byeing', 'toloding'/driving to train stations/airports while others continued the tour to the Grimmialp. ICBE Day 5, May 9, 2005. The ICBE extension day for some attendees, who stayed behind, while others, who left the hotel, are now making recollections as they sit in private cars home or in trains or airplanes. Others with Swiss Francs went to Bern, to Interlaken to buy more chocolates, while others including me, Yvonne, Consing, Judith, Jane, Nellie, Henry P and Henry F, Julio, Rick went to Grimmialp for a shooting and to sleep in the chalet. Accordingly, only I snored. They may have snored too but I was asleep to hear their croaking snore. |
|
The ICBE Consultation Gala Night: A Cultural Integration among the Swiss and Igorots (Cow bells and the Igorot Gongs in Unison) By Caridad Fiar-od
The Gala Night, which was part of the 4-day Igorot Cordillera [BIMAAK] - Europe (ICBE) Consultation in Hotel Friedegg, Aeschi, Switzerland was held on May 7, 2005. This was well attended by Swiss families with Igorot in-laws and their friends, the Swiss-Philippine Embassy staff, in addition to the more than 70 registered participants of the conference. A special feature of the ICBE Gala night that surprised most attendees was the impressive grand entrance in single file of the Swiss Alps Yoddlers of about 33 members with the striking sound of the cowbells. The Yoddlers synchronized the swinging of the cowbells left and right that produced marching music. As the Yoddlers entered, the music went on from slow and soft sound then fast and loud. The Yoddlers then gave way to the usual Philippine opening program protocols of having the opening prayer in the form of Uggayam, the singing of the Philippine national anthem followed by the singing of the Swiss National anthem. The Yoddlers then expressed their heartfelt welcome with their yoddles and the playing of the accordion. Likewise, the Igorots had their equally impressive grand spiritually-inspired entrance led by the supposed Igorot men of elders holding the torch of fire, the man striking the kalasag and another with the gongs met by two women bringing the jars of rice wine. As they reached the stage as the supposed meeting point, the lead elder recited an emphatic prayer and opened the jar of rice wine with his wishes that Kabunian grants safety, happiness, success, more inter-marriages between Swiss and Igorots .... Then as a symbol of social integration, the lead elderly man shouted the coming of Igorots to join the Swiss. This was now the grand entrance of the men and women Igorots representing all provinces in Cordillera as the men came with their gongs and the women at their sides. The Igorots played the gongs to the tune of the different dances in Cordillera, one dance after the other. After both tribal presentations (Swiss Yoddlers and Igorots), the Yoddlers held their cowbells and the Igorots held their gongs to produce music. This time everybody (Swiss or Igorots) danced as a group or by partners then there was the exchanging of instrument so some Yoddlers played the gongs and some Igorots played the cowbells all together. Dancing varied from tadek or sadngi or tayaw to swing, foxtrot, and all sort. In appreciation, the Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland, Honorable Rora Tolentino, expressed her amusement and excitement as well as her closeness to the Igorot people, the Swiss, the supportive Swiss spouses of Igorots, the ICBE organizers for such a very impressive and successful cultural integration. More presentations were performed by country participants and followed by picture taking. Hence, the Cultural Gala Night turned out as an avenue for the Swiss and Igorots to be familiar with one's cultural dances, songs and traditions. While there was language barrier since the Yoddlers can not understand English, we were able to understand the importance of cooperation, solidarity, relaxation, happy marriage among the Swiss farmer yoddlers who came with their wives and cowbells. |
|
Overview of the Planning and Preparation By Lolit Hafner-Monico
The following write-up is a result of the compiled documentation/agenda during the course of working with the BIBAK-Switzerland group in the planning and preparation for hosting the 3rd ICBE Consultation. It commenced on the first meeting after the consultation in Vienna on May 29 – June 1, 2003. Brainstorming already started on the trip back home from the meeting. The first preparatory meeting was held in Baselland at the Passerini residence in the summer of 2003. With the evaluation results from Vienna as our guideline, tasks were listed and divided among the members. Other meetings followed in Bern mostly at Bruder Klaus Church through the effort of Sabina Kuenzi and in between, we also met in private homes or outdoors. ChallengesThe first challenge was to create the general framework of the preparatory committees and assign tasks to the 11 active members of the group. The worksheet was prepared in one of our succeeding meetings at the residence of Martin and Claire Koller in Oberwil-Lieli in canton Aargau. It turned out that there were more committees than members so we had to devise ways to do our multiple functions. From that time on, there were already enthusiastic expressions and encouragement from our background supporters and that helped sustain and propel all of us to get to work. Another challenge was the disperse locations of the different members from all over Switzerland. Because of the travelling costs, we limited the number of meetings to the minimum therefore more mail and phone communications. The whole planning and preparation was a real challenge to all of us not only in terms of the bulk of work but also in dealing with each other. From the beginning, as is normal in every group, each member believed in different ways of doing things which could already spell chaos. It was just impossible to consider and accommodate all suggestions so we had to settle for the most practical one to get started. In order to get going, we had to agree and set rules for ourselves. We agreed to disagree, and yet unite, cooperate, and concentrate our energy in our assignments. This common agreement kept us on track over the last two years. The result speaks for itself. With respect to each member and every involvement I had in this preparation, it was inspiring to experience the group dynamics within the majority of members, powered by each other’s encouragement during group meeting with doses of humour and wit. Throughout the year long planning and working together, we made mistakes but learned a great deal. Hotel FriedeggAs soon as the task lists and activities were finalized for each working committee, work commenced for some. Assigned to scout for the venue, I started to list prospective locations considering suggestions from the Vienna evaluation report. Criteria were ranked according to the following: reasonable cost, accessibility to public transport, countryside location and possibility of outdoor activities. (e.g. hiking, camping and shopping). For practical reasons, it was the group’s consensus that if possible, the venue should be in Bern since five of the members live in the area. This was to centralize the task coordination in the preparation. In a span of six months, we visited more than 20 location/venues in the region of Bern and the upper country area. First, we started with low-budget venues like YMCAs/YWCAs, scout centres, youth hostels to converted bunkers. Most often, there were those satisfying our criteria but were either booked or too isolated. With most of those, there were no function rooms. Before the onset of winter 2003, we narrowed the choices to three. We then called for a meeting to inspect the prospective venues. For the group, it was a welcome opportunity to meet outdoor and have a picnic in the nice autumn setting. The outcome was an overwhelming approval for Credo hotel at Wilderswil near Interlaken. The cost, location and accessibility got the best points so we made an initial arrangement with the hotel manager. We were informed that a group who yearly use the place for religious retreat had not confirmed their reservation yet and will be given priority being regular clients. For this reason, we had to hold one of the other venue for three weeks until we heard from Credo Hotel. For us, it was a long wait. Unfortunately at the end, we lost the bid for the venue. As time for the reservation was getting shorter and the target dates were a holiday, the group decided to get the second choice (Meielisalp) also located in the area along the lake of Thun between Interlaken and Spiez. We were then frantic to reserve the venue, but while waiting for the decision from Credo, Meielisalp was already booked. That left only one choice to grab which, in the meantime, was closed for vacation when we went to see it. Frustrated and disheartened, on the way back home, Juerg and I decided to detour and give a try to a venue in Aeschi we saw listed under VCH hotels (Association of Christian Hotels). These are hotels like the previous venues we inspected belonging to the Union of Free Mission Communities. Your guess? …yes, it is - Friedegg. On hindsight, we can say or think, what happened has to happen to lead us to our venue. Without wasting time, the next meeting was held at Friedegg hotel in the spring of 2004. From then on, we moved on to the next task. Financial Plan and BudgetMuch as we would like to bargain more on the cost of the board and lodging, we were aware that the prices at Friedegg were reasonable compared to others in the vicinity. The contract was made and as it came out, it was an interactive process involving negotiation between hotel and the host organization. Close coordination with the contact member or unit negotiating was necessary until days after the consultation. In some instances, visa applications needed validation from both hotel and host. We had to assume and anticipate numbers of attendees because it was the basis to request for the group discount. For 50 guests and over, the group discount applied and all the function rooms and facilities reserved. Throughout the entire preparation of the conference, close attention to the budget was necessary so as not to go beyond the threshold set. A check book of records of all financial activities (income and expenses) was maintained. This set-up proved helpful to us until the end of the financial report. Programme DevelopmentSimultaneously, while arrangements with the venue were on going, the committee on programme started rolling. Yvonne Belen from the Netherlands and Fred Labfayong, started drafting the programme. Numerous exchanges by mails followed to come up with the consultation format that included the title, theme, objectives, motto, methods, topics and issues and the presenters. Likewise, there was the first official promotion of the consultation in the IIC-5 Souvenir Programme. Yvonne wrote the advertisement and Fred sponsored it. Invitations and hand-out information were also sent to prospective participants complemented by phone calls and word advertisements from other ICBE members like Cristabel (Dono) Bounggick. To further facilitate the information dissemination, Juerg suggested adding a special page on the BIBAK-Switzerland website where relevant information and updates from the working committees could be posted. Through the ICBE mailing group, members from the BENELUX, UK, Austria, Germany, Philippines, US and Canada contributed their inputs in finalizing the format and programme activities of the consultation. When the first draft was posted, several revisions were introduced to accommodate suggestions from other members. Through e-mailing, improvements and changes were done faster than the previous meetings. In choosing the topics for the workshops, we based the suggested topics on the evaluation report from Vienna. For the presenters/facilitators of some topics, we already had some people in mind. On the topic on aging migrants, we placed Conchita Pooten being professionally involved with aging migrants; Mia Abeya for her comprehensive knowledge and background on Igorot culture and Rev. Cesar Taguba on Cordillera and migrant issues. The other topics were chosen from suggestions of other ICBE members. For the workshop of the second generation, we deliberately left it open to give them free hand to choose their own topic of interest. In the process of developing the programme, we had to deal with problems and conflicts that arose, but we dealt with them as they came. Several revisions were made because of the unconfirmed attendance of speakers/moderators, changes in the programme activities or time conflicts with invited guests. The last winter, before the event, we made minor adjustments in the program activities to accommodate a local group from the community of Aeschi, the Jodlergruppe Alpengruss Aeschiried, whom we requested to participate. Through the help of Mr. Thomas Knupp, the hotel proprietor and manager of Friedegg, we were introduced to the group leader, Mr Fritz Portenier. More meetings followed and eventually, we got their commitment to this experiment on integration. What transpired during the cultural exchange that gala evening was for all of us, undoubtedly, an experience we will all remember. Up to the last days prior to the consultation, we tried, as much as possible, to incorporate in the programme contributions before the final printing. There were also ideas introduced later by other members to spruce and animate the program and so came the Alphorn number and the intermission from the Austrian delegates. Due to short time changes on attendance, there were parts in the program where we had to replace speakers and moderators. We were fortunate to have guests who willingly took over so the programme flow went smoothly. Final Hotel and Transport DetailsIn the autumn of 2004, the final arrangement for board and lodging at the venue was posted in the website and sent to the ICBE mail group. The bank account and instructions for payment were included. Since then, payments started to come in for the room reservation as it was first-come-first-serve based on the room categories available. Apart from follow up mails and calls to participants, some final arrangements had to be undertaken with the hotel concerning meals, number of full board guests, day guests and room assignments. Likewise, transport service had to be confirmed and coordinated. It had two purposes: it was to meet and guide arrivals who flew into Zurich and Bern airport and to shuttle participants from Spiez train station to the venue; and the other way around on the departure day. While some found their own way to the venue, most were fetched somewhere along the way. Stage and Hall DecorationSubsequently, while work on the programme and financial planning was in progress, those in charge of the physical arrangements were designing/preparing the stage and hall decorations. After ocular inspections of the venue, Violeta Passereni, Rebecca Riesterer and Julio Monico started pooling their ideas to come up with the hall decorations. The ICBE banner (BIMAAK) was the original idea of Peter and Rebecca Riesterer. They did extra effort to produce that very nice motif. The group is indeed grateful for their ingenuity. The stage decoration with the unique cut-out letters is a product of Violeta’s creativity. How she toiled and worked for perfection is worthy of emulation. She really deserves the compliments accorded to her for a job well done. A day before the consultation, a group of ten members spent the afternoon until evening pasting, mounting and fixing up the decorations and artifacts in the session hall. Peter delivered a van full of materials all the way from Baselland, including his tool box. We are so fortunate to have their support in providing the snacks and the sweets before and during the meeting. Sightseeing tourAfter scouting and calculating the costs of possible places of interest for the tour, arrangement was made to reserve the transport. This entailed logistic planning which fortunately went well in spite of the intermittent weather condition. To meet one of the suggestions from previous consultation, the group decided to organize an Alpine panorama bus trip to Muerren or Rosenlaui-Grindelwald, inclusive optional short treks, shopping possibilities, and a ship cruise on the lake of Thun. As it turned out, the bad weather option had to be the program of the day due to the short time notice of an avalanche alarm. Personnel and FeesAll these administrative and logistical support in the preparation had been the main task of Juerg Hafner with my assistance. During the first month of preparation, we budgeted a registration fee of SF 80.- to offset the expenses for the tour, miscellaneous, documentation and proceedings. As the date neared, we were confronted with unforeseen on site expenses which every member helped defray. We solicited funds, which unfortunately did not bear result except from Victorinox who gave the knives as keepsake. Considering the budgetary constraints we were in, we still think that we were within the work plan expectations. When the fees started coming in, it solved the financial strain of the preparation. Group EffortLastly, I want to thank all the people in the group who have helped make this consultation a successful one. We have worked on the principle that quite a few people, each putting in a small contribution, can make big things happen and create benefits to all concerned. Our united effort paid off even if none of us had any experience in organizing such an event. This is a proof that this can work for all without being too great a burden for any of us. |
|
Turnover Ritual Uggayam By Patrick Bounggick
Uggayam is a song/chant performed by a leader during public programs. Thus it’s my dignity to deliver my message with my native attire and my very own dialect (for the purpose of documentation, it’s translated in English).
After the long journey from our native land, Igorots arrived in the different countries of Europe with a common desire. It's by nature that Igorots possess a strong solidarity, no matter where they are; thereby, in Belgium through the mobilization of Susan, Peter and Ric of Cordi-Bel, hosted the first Consultation. The positive response of the participants in Belgium initiated Igorot Austria to host the 2nd Consultation. These successful gatherings are a testimony of our desire to achieve our objectives and to strengthen our unity as migrants and immigrants. To the BIBAK-Switzerland, this KALASAG or shield signifies that the BIMAAK Europe came into being through the cooperation and unity of the Igorots in Europe, representing their own tribes. GAYANG or spear is handed to you symbolizing the long path of achieving our objectives. I challenge my co-Igorots to work hand and hand with great commitment, thus we make it our responsibility to nurture the seed that we planted. Lastly, we will now play the GANGSA, as an expression of our gathering here in Switzerland for this is an opportunity for us to meet our friends, kailians and relatives. KABUNYAN, the God of our ancestors, thank you for all your blessings and may you continue giving us more strength especially Yvonne and her husband, for inspiring and guiding us for the cause of being Igorots. Guide and protect us, as we move on to preserve our "Cultural Heritage."
Matagotago tako am-in! |
|
My Welcome song By Henry Foken Hay hay hay!! hay hay alay ay ay 2x (Swiss mountains are very high) |
|
Welcome Messages By Rick Kilongan
Hello and welcome everybody.
Allow me to say a short message before I will hand over the floor to our MCs (emcees). We are happy to see friends from previous meetings and to meet and welcome new ones. To those attending for the first time, who may not be familiar with us, a very warm welcome too. As we go about our program, we hope that each of us will not just focus on the serious discussions, but will find time to bond and enjoy each other’s company. We can mix serious talks with pleasure for all of us in this meeting. Some of those we meet will be lifelong friends, but whatever terms of relationship may develop, we have always something to share, teach and learn from each other. For most of us, this time is a unique opportunity to meet and bond with fellow Igorots/Cordillerans in and outside Europe and overseas. We meet not only to discuss and deliberate on issues affecting us, Igorot migrants, but also to show our common tribal music and dances. It is a cultural fellowship to represent our rich tradition and customs and an event to celebrate and enjoy life. In behalf of BIBAK-Switzerland members and supporters, I welcome you all and sincerely hope that we will have a productive and informative meeting. May you find both the program and activities, which we have prepared for you interesting. Likewise, we do hope that during the course of the meeting, we will find time for informal discussions as they can be as important as the formal sessions we have planned. We then expect an interesting exchange both in terms of speakers/talks and fun entertainments. Friends and kaka-i-lians, we wish you all an enjoyable and fruitful consultation.
By Alfredo Labfayong
Thank you Henry! Thank you Rick Kilongan! Again, I would also want to express my delight and gratitude, that: you were all able to be here to join our 3rd ICBE meeting. Also my gratitude to all of us who were behind in the preparation of this event and I guess that includes mostly all of us. We are again gathered here today to discuss and to experience our Igorot culture. Tomorrow we will be then speaking and sharing our opinions during the workshop discussions on, “What is it in our culture that we want to pass on to next generation?“ What is culture ? I suppose every group of individuals or so-called community of people have their own culture. Some could be more advance than the other, but no matter what; each group of people needs their own culture to be able to be identified differently from the other. Culture however is not immune to changes, as we live in a globalized world and a society that follows the modern trends of modern culture. The so-called old values and traditions are endangered to be overcome by the influence of modern trends. Culture for me: I define it as our roots. We have our Igorot roots at the same time being part of the global world we also take global culture as part of our roots. There is a story that I like to relate to you. I came to Switzerland some 26 years ago. I started to work in a small village near the border to Austria. That is Teufen in Appenzell Ausserrhoden. Actually the people in that region are traditionalist, strong and deep Catholic believers and mostly farmers for many centuries and were able to keep that old tradition of the Alpine folks farming. The region and their houses are very traditional and also they practice many traditional feast and beliefs. They have also a dialect of themselves to be able to be called as Appenzeller. The story that I like to relate to you is: One day Sister Mia, a nurse from Holland approaches me and requests me to sketch a tree. Which I did. I sketch a tree with almost no roots. Just a trunk and beautiful branches and leaves. Sister Mia, of course notices the failing of the roots. She says, “Where are your roots?” Then she adds, “Most of you Filipinos sketch the same kind of tree. It just shows that your foundation in life is very weak. From the outside you could be radiating in grace but when a problem occurs, you will easily fall because you have no roots to hold on to.” I agree with her opinion. First of all, culturally, Filipinos have a weak foundation, just like that tree without roots. We have a weak cultural foundation because many of our culture were not documented and also sometimes we, Filipinos, don’t appreciate our own culture, which is one of the bad influence of the 500 years colonization and also being told upon that our culture is inferior to that of the colonizers. I therefore conclude that: Appreciating, sharing, learning more about our roots will make us, Igorots, have more self-confidence and proud about ourselves. Thank you very much and again, welcome to all of you. |
|
Briefing on the consultation by Lolit Hafner-Monico
I am delighted to add my own warm welcome to you all. Also compliments for having found your way to the venue, considering your long journey behind. For this reason, I will not tire you more with a long talk. Instead, I will refer you to the enclosed page on the house rules for your orientation. Please feel free to get in touch with the numbers listed therein for any clarification. Now on the overview of the consultation, this will be elaborated by the other speakers during the sessions. I will just scratch the surface of it. This 3rd ICBE consultation seeks to focus on the issues that have been started during the previous meetings which has significance to all of us, Igorot migrants. These issues are relevant and culminate in the theme for this consultation, which is: Our Igorot Cordillera Culture: Heritage and Social Integration. The same previous methods will be used to attain our objectives. There will be workshops and discussions on the different topics of interest and on the question left open on Igorot values. This will commence in the morning with the workshop for both first and second generation. In the afternoon, there will be the workshops on different topics of interest. We will hear from the facilitators/speakers and other individuals, views and perspectives on topics of aging migrants, retirement in the Philippines, Cordillera concerns and migrant issues, stories of our Igorot culture and one workshop group for the second generation. We expect that as we go along, we will gain greater insight into ways to meet the challenges and to achieve the objectives we have set. Ever since our first European meeting (Assembly of Cordillera People in Europe - ACPE) in Gent, Belgium, it is heartening to experience the willingness of most to come together and tackle nagging issues and challenges affecting us, Igorot migrants, as well as concerns back in our homeland. It is further hoped that by addressing the range of current relevant issues that will be raised over the next three days, we will have taken some significant steps in promoting awareness of our Igorot/Cordillera concerns. Another challenge that falls on us as individual or as family is on how we think of our heritage and its worth. We are all living now in a different society. Amid the rapid modernization and technological growth, the tendency is that the cultural heritage of many of us is either threatened or sidelined (whether intentional or otherwise). This is more eminent in our younger generation who are born or raised here in our adopted country. The challenges now are: how do we connect or strengthen our younger generation to the Igorot culture and heritage, how do we emphasize the reinforcement of link to our homeland and what do the youth think of all these challenges? To help us meet these questions, it is imperative that there is youth participation in the sessions. We then encourage and invite them to actively participate. We will undoubtedly benefit from the interaction with them. So, I have touched the surface of a number of issues here. You will see that there is a considerable work for us to do in working through the issues by sharing ideas and opinions, observation, suggestions, etc. Let us be open-minded and forthcoming with views and ideas. On that, to ensure a well contributed result, I invite each of you to reflect and ponder upon the themes and issues mentioned and what it means to us as group and individuals. I then pass on the floor to our emcees. Have a good rest and good night to all. |
|
Acknowledgement As in many undertakings, we realized that hosting a consultation is not a small errand. We would not have been able to pull everything off without a great deal of help from many supporters. At this time, we would like to acknowledge the many contributions that led to the success of the 3rd ICBE consultation. This took many forms be it in talents, time and treasures. BIBAK Switzerland is very grateful for all the valuable support they received since the planning until the post conference time. There are so many people to thank and acknowledge. If we have left anyone out, please know that it is not because we appreciate you less but it is because we are overwhelmed by your contributions and support. It is with great pleasure and sincerity that we thank the following: To our incredibly articulate speakers who travelled from far to be with us. They are Mr. and Mrs. Albert and Carolyn Bacdayan, Mrs. Mia Apolinar-Abeya, Miss Elizabeth Omengan, Mrs. Caridad B. Fiar-od, Mrs. Luzviminda Tuazon, Mrs. Rosemarie Madadsec, Miss Airen Kalley, Mr. and Mrs. Henry and Nellie Pit-og, Rev. Cesar Taguba, Mr. Severino Oblas, Mrs. Conchita Pooten and Mrs. Marjorie Bawing-Lev. Thank you so much for all the wisdom, knowledge and experiences you shared during your speeches and deliberations. Future ICBE consultations will always have a slot for you.
Our special appreciation goes to our facilitators, moderators and group leaders who guided us in those informative and thought-provoking workshops. From the feedbacks and reports, we believe that most benefited from the active participation during the whole event. The credit goes to you that most if not all were involved. The fact that it was a spontaneous grouping, everybody fitted into the workshop groups and actively participated in the discussions.
To the youth group, thank you very much for your participation. Even if it was more of a getting to know-each-other meeting, we hope the bonding continues and the gains from the interaction will enhance your interest in promoting our Igorot cause. While certain topics were geared towards the first generation and others were towards migrant issues, you were attentive to the topics. In the end, we believe we all benefited from the interactions.
To our new attendees, many thanks too for your presence. We hope the impressions you had from this first attendance will encourage you to join future ICBE Consultations. For all of us, there is always the first time. Let it be it known that our consultations are not only reserved for experienced speakers but also for those who want to be heard. Your participation added weight and meaning to our meeting.
Thank you to the following people for their different support extended to the group before, during and after the consultation: To Mr. Thomas Knupp for taking over the rent of the hall used during the gala night and the reduction on the hotel bill. To the whole Friedegg hotel staff who made us all comfortable and were ever-willing to accommodate our extra requests and needs. To Mr. Fritz Portenier of the Jodlergruppe Alpengruess Aeschiried, who willingly gave his valuable time coordinating with us to organise that unforgettable merging of two cultures. His communicable enthusiasm and interest in the Igorot culture is truly encouraging. How the group readily integrated with us during the cultural night was no doubt to his credit. To the Jodlergruppe Alpengruess Aeschiried and their spouses for their extraordinary performances, their impressive participation will forever be remembered. To Virgil Monico for playing the Swiss national anthem with saxophone in spite of his stage fright. To Yvonne Belen, our adviser and good fairy of ICBE, we will not sum up the work you did and are still doing for BIBAK-Switzerland and ICBE but we just want you to know how grateful we are. You are indeed the “tokwifi” working behind the scenes. We can not thank you enough. To Christa Monico for taking care of our treasures. Your oversight and auditing skills in the budget process ensured that finances were properly handled until the final report. To Juerg Hafner who has been a big help from set-up to clean-up. To Flordeliza Schwarz, Anny Hefti, Martin Koller, Patrick Bounggick, Julius Banban, Milo Baechtold, Fredy Wunderle who supplemented our taxi service crew to shuttle participants during the arrivals, departures and the gala evening. To Cristabel and Patrick Bounggick and IGO Austria for their assistance in the decorations and for sharing their props, attires and instruments that helped liven up the entire programme. We know we can always count on you. You’re very much appreciated. To Dominga and Douglas Webber, Elizabeth Ut-utan, Ric Cuyob, Yvonne Belen, Violeta Passerini, Bart and Silvia Aliten, Frederick and Daniela Baldo, Fred Labfayong and IGO Austria for sharing their photos and films taken during the consultation. To Rebecca Riesterer whose smooth management of the snack corner made sure we all had our snacks and drinks during the breaks. She was assisted by the young, energetic Frederick Baldo who ran for refills. To the siblings, Flordeliza Aliping Schwarz and Cristeta A. Schneider from Germany for their initiatives so that some of our very young participants were not bored during the sessions. They entertained them with games and drove them around. To Claus Nabert and Rose Nabert for the time, effort and money they spent to attend the conference, although in the end they were unable to due to unforeseen circumstances. Thank you also for your generous donation to BIBAK Switzerland. To Paz Awingan-Aptimes and Claus Nabert for a very well prepared IIC-6 power point presentation. To Mrs. Caridad Fiar-od who willingly took over the IIC-6 presentation in behalf of Claus Nabert. We all enjoyed her animated and witty presentation. To Susan Kilakil for volunteering to photocopy the proceedings. To Peter Agnaonao for volunteering to help mail the proceedings
We would be remiss if we don’t thank our main anchor supports. Our group couldn’t have functioned properly without the various levels of help from our families. As you have seen in the gala night, most of the spouses, children, in-laws, friends and other supporters were on hand to help in the canteen set up for our fund raising. They took care of baking the pastries, buying the beverages and selling the snacks. They got positive comments from everybody and enjoyed their participation even in a quite limited time. Our thanks too to the other family members who were not present but were with us in spirit and mind. We sincerely appreciate their moral and physical support ever since the existence of BIBAK-Switzerland.
In addition, since our group survives on self-reliance and volunteerism, we have to find ways to cover our internal finances and offset our counterpart as host. We believe it is then proper to also acknowledge contributions in various ways from members. Donations in kind came from Martin and Claire Koller for the name tags; from Rebecca Riesterer, Angie Wunderle, Violeta Passerini, Sabina Kuenzi, and Walter Labaya for the cakes, pastries, fruits and sweets; and from Irene Kilongan, Bart Aliten, Julio Monico and Erika Foken for the drinks.
Last but not least, our big, big thanks go out to each and every one of you. With your participation, all our efforts were worth it and led to a successful event.
See you all in Ireland. Long Live Everybody! Long Live ICBE! |
|
By Ricardo Cuyob
The second Igorot European Consultation held in Vienna, Austria from May 29 to June 1, 2003 was hosted by the IGO-Austria. The theme was, “Our Cordillera People’s Culture: Our Heritage” and the objectives were: 1. To know the current issues affecting Igorot migrants in Europe. 2. To enable Igorots in Europe to have a cultural exchange. 3. To address the issues of second generation Igorots. What has been done during the 2nd Igorot European Consultation is very well documented in the proceedings. General OverviewThe three days spent in the second consultation went as follows : a. In the evening of May 29, IGO-Austria opened the consultation with a welcome program. As a background, we listened to Susan Kilakil read, “How the Idea of Gathering the Igorots/Cordillerans in Europe Came About.” Later, Nicole Lani Abeya-Barnabas presented an update of the 5th Igorot International Consultation (IIC-5). b. In the morning of the second day, May 30, we listened to the IGO president, the late Mr. Rex Botengan’s keynote address, which was read by Miss Linda Khensay, Igorot-UK president. Then His Excellency, the Philippine Ambassador to Austria, Victor Garcia III, delivered his message. Later, there was a panel discussion with panellists: Severino (Rhino) Oblas, who spoke on, “The Beliefs and Home Rituals of Benguet” and Maria Cristina (Mia) Abeya, who talked on, “The Role of Women among the Igorots.” c. On the third day, May 31, we decided on our group’s name. We also made plans for 2005, especially the venue of our next gathering. After lunch, we went sightseeing. And in the evening, we were invited to the thanksgiving dinner offered by the Olat-Bounggick family with the full support of the IGO-Austria. d. On June 1, Sunday morning, we went our separate ways. Many went home, some went for more sightseeing and others went for a picnic. What were taken up1. There were speeches: a) About the Background, b) On the Theme, c) Panel discussions on the Igorot Migrants in Europe, d) A message from the Representative of the Philippine Government, and e) Information and updates on our Links : a. As a background to the second Igorot European Consultation, Cordi-Bel told the story of how the idea of gathering Igorots/Cordillerans in Europe came about. They pointed out the favourable factors that pushed the idea. These were: the full support of the local organizations of Belgians due to the first celebration of a Cordillera Day in the City of Gent in Belgium, the positive response of the Igorots in Europe who were invited to form a preparatory committee and the timely 4th Igorot International Consultation (IIC-4) that will be hosted by the Igorot-U.K. on June 28 – 30, 2002 in London. b. On the theme, we had “Igorot Cultural Heritage,” “Beliefs and Home Rituals of Benguet” and “The Role of Women among the Igorots.” i. On the “Igorot Cultural Heritage” the late Mr. Rex Botengan, differentiated the term Cordillera and Igorots. According to him, the term Cordillera is a political identity whereas, the term Igorot describes the “people of the mountains,” and reveals a specific image of a people. He suggested some ways to preserve our Igorot culture, which are: using the term Igorot to describe our culture, conducting informal sessions with the youth about the elements of our culture, teaching them some of our common dances and rituals, orienting them with some of our socio-political institutions or oral traditions, teaching them few words in Igorots and letting them know that there are several Igorot languages, setting up a mobile mini-museums, collecting and preserving photos and printed literatures about the Igorot cultures and reviewing them to the youths. ii. On the “Beliefs and Home Rituals of Benguet,” Rhino Oblas outlined the belief system of the Kankanaeys and Ibaloys of Benguet, how the spirits they believed in are classified or categorized, and their perception on this belief and its effect to the living. The presentation by Mr. Oblas is a living example of our Igorot cultural heritage still being practiced by the people of Benguet today though it’s becoming limited. iii. On the “Role of Women among the Igorots,” Mia Apolinar-Abeya expounded the role of the Igorot women in the family, in the village and also in today’s modern Igorot family. She pointed out that as bearers of life, the Igorot women pass on to the children the values of “patience, moral strength, fidelity, hard work, respect for nature, as well as humankind.” c. On the panel discussion about the Igorot migrants in Europe, Conchita Pooten talked on, “On Migration from the Igorotland: Past, Present and Future: An Igorot Migrant’s Perspective.” The issue she raised that needs to be addressed is the protection of elderly migrants. Then Lolit Hafner-Monico spoke on the “Challenges in a Bicultural Marriage,” where she presented a well-balanced view of the challenges/problems in a bicultural marriage and also its promises and joys. She also suggested at least eight practical recommendations on how to overcome the obstacles and confront the challenges to maintain a balance and happy bicultural marriage. d. In keeping with the theme of the consultation, the Philippine Ambassador to Austria, His Excellency Victor Garcia III mentioned in his message some evidences of the unique character of the Cordillera peoples, like the world famous Ifugao rice terraces, the ancient burial caves in Sagada, the well preserved sacred mummies of the ancient peoples of Benguet, the enlightening political story of the Chico river and the pristine mountain forests of the Cordillera. Then he recalled the dream of the Cordillera people for autonomy of which several referenda had been conducted but with no visible results yet. The centre of his message was a call for all Igorot associations or chapters throughout Europe as well as all Filipinos abroad to participate in the overseas absentee voting. He urged us, “to take advantage of this first-ever chance to select our country’s leaders...” e. For information and update, we had the “Story of the IGO” and the “5th Igorot International Consultation,” respectively. On the “Story of the IGO,” the late Mr. Rex Botengan pointed out how the name Igorot Global Organization (IGO) came about, its vision, mission statement, projects/programs, organizational status, membership, the membership fees and the present officers. The mission of the IGO is “to preserve for future generations the diverse heritage of the Igorot people and proactively promote their well-being, advancement and interests and those of related people.” The vision is “to be the advocate of Igorot rights and causes – linking Igorots and related people worldwide.” f. Nicole Lani Abeya-Barnabas delivered the update on the 5th Igorot International Consultation (IIC-5), which was to be held in St. Louis, Missouri, USA from July 1 to 4 of 2004 and sponsored by the Igorot Global Organization. The objectives were: · to learn from the 1904 journey of Igorots in the St. Louis World fair and how it brought us to the present day. · to expand our horizons by partnering with the people of St. Louis. · to forge the pathways that lead to enlightenment, never forgetting our dignity. The theme was, “Igorots: St. Louis to the World.” The IIC-5 was intended to celebrate the challenges and accomplishments of Igorots since their participation at the St. Louis World Fair in 1904. 2. On the workshops, the topics were: Second generation Igorots, Cordillera migrant’s situation in Europe, Aging migrants and Bicultural Marriage. Each group came up with important recommendations for the Igorot European consultation and future consultations. 3. On the cultural activities: a. We played our gangsas and danced our native dances especially during the Igorot night. b. We relived our cultural heritage as we listened to the welcome and closing remarks delivered in an uggayam style. c. We learned some Igorot folksongs and did their rhythmical steps. d. During the Igorot cultural night, we witnessed one of our Igorot traditional wedding ceremony performed by the IGO-Austria. e. Still considered a cultural activity was the thanksgiving dinner prepared by the IGO-Austria on the occasion of Cristabel (Dono) Olat-Bounggick’s 50th birthday anniversary. 4. On the guided sightseeing, Mr. Klemens Hruska made a very good guide. He gave valuable information on the historical, political as well as the socio-economic importance of the areas we visited in relation to the city of Vienna. 5. On the evaluation, each participant filled an evaluation form. As collated by Yvonne Belen, we saw the openness of the participant to express their honest feelings, likes and dislikes on some aspects of and on the overall consultation. However, there were only 28 evaluation sheets submitted in spite of the 90 recorded adult participants belonging to the first and second generation Igorots. What we have reached so farA. From the workshops: 1. The recommendation to set up a residential home for the elderly Igorot migrants, which will be experimented in the U.K. The Igorot-UK will make a concept paper to be circulated and presented during the IIC-5. 2. It was also noted to draft a declaration and programme of action to address the issues of Igorot migrants in Europe. The draft concept paper shall be circulated for comments and to be presented during the IIC-5. 3. Encourage back to roots program for the youths, include camping for them in the future consultations and deal on the question of values and culture. 4. On the bicultural marriage, five practical recommendations were enumerated such as learning the language of the partner, how to help those victimized, immersing the foreign partner to the daily life in the ili, how to raise the children, and campaigning to reduce the number of years for waiting before being legalized. B. We came up with our group’s name - “Igorot Cordillera (BIMAAK)-Europe” (ICBE). The term Cordillera recognizes the political and geographical concept as presently understood. The term Igorot refers to the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera while BIMAAK refers to the provinces that comprise the Cordillera region. Europe indicates the continent where we now live. C. Included in the proceedings is the article, “Igorot Values: Some Personal Thoughts,” by Mr. Edmund Bugnosen Sr. (Ayban). The points he forwarded were: 1. It is difficult to talk of “Igorot Values” in a collective sense due to the many distinct differences in traditions, practices and values of each tribe in the Igorotland. 2. In his reflection, the term “ ‘Igorot value’ is used in the broadest sense which could mean Igorot tradition, belief and practices or mainly Igorot ways of life.” 3. Since the word “value” can either have bad or good implications, he enumerated some examples classifying them as bad, something in between, and good ones. 4. Examples of the bad or not-so-good Igorot values are : a. Baes (Revenge) – the “life-for-a-life” practice of some Igorot tribes in settling tribal disputes have contributed to some extent the historical head hunting stigma that Igorots carry today. This is also institutionalized in other tribes with the presence of some people who do the tala, sapo, pad-padya, and kedet. b. Baos (curse) is more than just uttering bad words because it is ritually done with deep conviction accompanied animal sacrifice. c. Ungos is the parental way of saying “no” to the prospective son or daughter-in-law. 5. Examples of values that are something in-between good and bad : d. Ba-in literally signifies shame but could be best interpreted as shyness or dishonourable. e. Inayan is translated as the “be careful” attitude and the fear of the unknown. 6. Examples of the good values (of which many are disappearing): f. Respect for elders, which is common to all Filipinos in general but to the Igorot mentality it points more to obeying elders. g. The Urbana (a unifying community holiday) but it is no longer totally observed in some communities. h. The Senga - butchering animals for various reasons/occasions. i. The Daw-es - a cleansing ceremony with animal sacrifice. j. The Dap-ay practice where the members of the dap-ay come together to appreciate and invoke blessings to the donor of the gift or to reject the gift, if suspected unclean. k. The practice of “unity and solidarity” (of which he has no appropriate Igorot term). This is clearly demonstrated by the holding of meetings as well as the past and future Igorot consultations. l. Our natural tendency to help as Igorots which has its firm institutional foundation in the form of ob-obbo, supon, and sagaok. m. And the foremost example of the good value is the Igorot’s strong belief in “life after death.” This belief has been held dear by the Igorots long before the Christian belief and teachings were introduced in the Igorotland. D. The participants nominated Switzerland as the site of the next consultation and BIBAK Switzerland accepted. What were left unansweredDuring the plenary session on May 30, two questions were raised but due to limited time, were left unanswered. But it was agreed that these will be tackled in the next consultation. The questions were : 1. What values and rituals do we want to be preserved? 2. What is it in our culture that we want to pass on to our children? Final Remarks1. As recorded in the proceedings, there were 102 participants who attended of which 71 belonged to the first generation, 19 were from the second generation and 12 were supporters. The consultation was not limited to lectures, debates or discussions. There were cultural activities and a guided sightseeing around the city. The consultation was carried out on a self-reliant basis. But is there something worth remembering and cherishing in the 2nd consultation? Some answers from the written evaluation state, “Everything will be remembered – the host, the venue, all guests and participants are worth cherishing.” And, “The exchange of experiences among the participants and their willingness to go on and preserve their culture and adapt to the culture of their host country.” 2. Finally, as part of the review of this second consultation, let us not forget the intention of the late Mr. Rex Botengan to attend and be with us in our future consultations. Unfortunately, neither he nor anyone knows what his future would be. But let us pray that his spirit will guide us all throughout our consultation. What he has been doing to boost our identity as Igorots will serve as our inspiration to do well in our consultation and in the future consultations.
Thank you. |
|
1. Welcome to every body 2. Intako ma-amongan |
3. Wad-ay chamet nan amam-a 4. Chakayo ay ongong-a |
5. Tay nay ma-among kami |