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What is it in Igorot Culture that should be passed on to the Next Generation: As Perceived
By Caridad Fiar-od If culture is dynamic as affected by migration, education, religion, etc., one day the Igorot Culture shall have lost its identity unless this generation makes effort to pass some aspects of the Igorot culture to the next generation. As such, foremost, the identifiable spirituality of the Igorots should be passed on. The spirituality of the Igorots manifested in different ways, in different places and different times in accordance with its applicability in terms of specific ethnic beliefs is what matters. Spirituality as practiced by the older generation of Igorots is acknowledging the Supernatural Being or Creator with or without performing a ritual at any time yet giving due respect to whatever religious affiliation he belongs to. The Creator is referred as God, the Almighty, the Powerful, the source of life, the Creator of all things termed in different local/ethnic names like Kabunian/Lumauig, Alawagan to the Isnags, Nintotongcho to the Bontocs, Adikaila to the Kankanaeys, Apo Dios, Manakabalin, Allah, etc. Being spiritual or believing in the value of spirituality, redounds to respect of land, bodies of water or the environment in general which is anchored on the belief that a spirit or spiritual deity present in every living creature controls its life per se. The belief in the presence of spirits by the power of a Supernatural Being is a manifestation that there is God. Secondly, on matters of the Igorot as a social being, the next generation for identity should make effort to learn and understand Igorot rituals expressed in cultural dances, songs, chants, traditional choreography, literary arts, etc. with the proper instrument/gadgets, costumes as well as their meanings, origin, and what each color, design/icons symbolize or represent. The originality and uniqueness of every ethnic culture in the Igorot communities should further be learned and understood parallel to other cultures where they are immersed, before the original Igorot Culture gets lost. Being knowledgeable on all those mentioned above would avoid misinterpretation or negative impact and instead would lead to the voluntary appreciation of the Igorot culture. Another identity of the Igorots which should be passed on to the next generation is whatever applicable indigenous knowledge and appropriate technologies relevant to making the most of whatever least resources for healthy living, or long life. As a whole, the second generation before making the necessary innovation/adjustment, should understand first what it means to be an Igorot defined by culture, what it means to be a Christian Igorot defined by one's spiritual beliefs and unique traditions, and what it means to be a successful social being defined by one's ideology acceptable in a global society anywhere around the world.
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By Marjorie Lev "Inayan" is my favorite because it is a kind of discipline from your parents that goes on from generation to generation. Every time a child starts to talk and understand what is good and bad like if they pinch, fight or bite other children, they always say, “Ene inayan na into no innikikan da abes ken sik-a!” The same as they grow older. If they lie or steal, inayan is always there. It is also a differentiation to know right from wrong. In short, for me, it is the "Golden Rule" of the Igorots. Finally, I am thinking a lot about how modern life changed most generations these days, how we have in many ways lost our way morally. Secondly, the "BagBaga" it goes hand in hand with "Inayan." BagBaga is an advice not only from our elders, parents, but also from anybody who wants to share there knowledge, experience bad or good especially how they change their lives, how they became successful. I have an uncle that every time we are gathered to my aunties’ or my uncles’ houses if he is around, he always tells us, “You know it is not only the professionals who are successful or make good in their lives, anybody as long as you have a goad and a determination to reach that goal you want, if there is a will there is a way. Look at me I'm not a professional but ‘I made it’." This uncle I'm talking about was the late Bernan Capuyan from Ambasing.
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By Lolit Hafner My opinion in answer to the above question is related to my report before on bicultural marriage. Since cultural practices are made meaningful with the use of own language, I believe teaching our younger generation to speak and understand our dialects is important. Inability to communicate in the vernacular will limit access to our Igorot culture since our literatures are mostly orally passed from generation to generation (rhymes, chants, legends, fables, songs and stories). Teaching them to speak in the dialect doesn’t need to compete with their formal education. It can start from nursery level and would develop as they grow up hearing the pure language at home. This may be in form of bedtime stories on Igorot legends, fables, suitable stories of childhood experiences on how we lived back home in our communities or traditional practices. This can be followed by some written documentations or books about Igorot culture. Having knowledge of some backgrounds about our culture, they will be the ones asking more questions as they grow up or get exposed during their immersion in our ilis. As I have previously written, knowing the language helps to access to the culture. It is therefore our responsibility to teach our children our language as one way of passing part of our Igorot culture we hold dear.
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By Violeta Passerini Some of the young generation were born in Igorotlandia and came here with their parents, who came to work, and some were born here through multicultural marriage. Those families who are lucky could go for a vacation yearly, once in two years or after five years, etc. These young generation are also lucky when they could stay in the “ili” and see how our elders live. And considering the taken vacation here in Europe, it’s very short to stay at home. The connection of this to the “What should we pass to the next generation” is just simple. While most of us write about our culture and tradition, I would also like to say that pictures are also nice to pass to our children. The Igorot way of living changed through modern technology which reached our provinces. The hearth was replaced by Shellane that it’s impossible to hung and make “kini-ing.” The camote or “tugi” is now seldom cultivated. The reason is our parents are already old to do this manual work and the either the children are in the cities or abroad to seek for better living, or camotes are replaced by vegetables crops. Through the “ahente” or museum collection our native art crafts are also disappearing. It’s a pity that some of our parents don’t know the value of these things. When we have these pictures, we have also an evidence when one day our children confront us with the question “How did you live before in Bontoc, Ifugao, etc.? What’s the use of these things? How do you use it? Do my grandparents still use them?” And when we show these pictures and our children ask questions, I’m sure it will be a nice moment to recall the past and tell them also about our culture. The late Hon. Masferré documented the Igorots through his photography but I know. that there are still pictures which we possess since the ‘60s or ‘70s not taken by Masferré but from a friend or relatives. This is already late for the 3rd ICBE documentation but when members of ICBE would help me to do this, then we could present the collection in the next consultation.
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By Peter Agnaonao I would like to answer this question by enumerating some of our Igorot values that are deeply rooted in our culture. First, is the Inayan concept that emanates from our beliefs. Second, is the Ob-obbo, which is one of the expression of solidarity. Third, is the traditional governance of the Ili like the recognition of the wisdom of the council of elders, the practice of tongtongan in settling a conflict within the community, and the traditional practice of managing and conserving the natural resources. From our humanities and arts, I think that our music, dances and artefacts are still worth passing. Another thing that I would like to suggest that should continue to be passed is the concept of the Dap-ay. This could certainly take a new form like this ICBE, organisation of Cordillerans, BIBAK, IGO and other forms of Igorot associations that makes itself a venue to: 1) discuss issues affecting us and our Igorotland, 2) talk about problems and find solutions or remedies and 3) pass to the next generation, our Igorot culture.
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By Yvonne Belen During my childhood in Bontoc, I had experiences on several aspects of the Igorot culture. But I have taken most for granted. Now that I write on what have to be passed on, I want to share some I distinctly recall. One is strict adherence to community tradition. I refer especially to tengaw, a day or days designated by village leaders as community holiday. Since I consider myself a student of Igorot culture, I requested for information from Caridad Fair-od. She wrote: Tengaw is a community or village holiday. On the day of a tengaw, no one is allowed to enter or go out the village the moment a signal is announced through village criers and with knotted plant symbols at strategic entry places. The purpose of tengaw is to avoid any spiritual disturbance that might be the cause or reason for any misfortune or the non-realization of the very purpose of the community ritual performed. Tengaw is observed after a community ritual is performed. The tengaw could be after the following rituals with their common purposes: 1) Victory or loss over a tribal tribal war, performed to acknowledge and thank Kabunyan and other spirits, 2) Kanyaw in celebration of harvest or the symbolical sowing of palay seeds, performed to acknowledge the Creator and to wish for abundance and prosperity, 3) Cleansing ritual after a bad omen was observed in the community, performed to pray for divertion of the bad to something good. In the western municipalities of Mountain Province, they call it obaya not tengaw. The procedure and purposes are the same. The difference is that the western people or iAplai do not have ritual after a tribal war. Among the Bontocs and Sadangas, the most nairut is the tengaw after a tribal war.
I only realized the effects of tengaw the last time I went with my family to Bontoc. We were there in December 2002 and decided to go to Mainit to see the hot springs. But we were refused entry because the community had a tengaw. We were already going up the village when the woman, at the first house we passed by, said, “You can’t proceed. It’s tengaw today. Didn’t you see the plant with a knot?” “Yes, I did.” I replied. But I didn’t know the meaning of the knot in the plant. “That means it’s tengaw,” she told us. Disappointed, we returned to Bontoc. While we missed the hot springs, I admire and respect the village elders for their decision. We had a similar experience when my family and I went to Alab. I wanted to show them my grandparent’s house in Dongyuan, where I was born. We weren’t allowed to go to that part of the village because they had a tengaw. Somebody died. So, I could only show the house where I was born, from my cousin’s house at the mountain opposite Dongyuan. While we were at my cousin’s house, he brought out etag from the luden. Etag are pork slices, which are kept in the dried shell of a gourd called luden. We Igorots and Cordillerans have been practicing this method of food preservation for generations and I think it should be passed on. The meat is free of chemicals except table salt, which is used as the preservative. Aside from food preservation, the Bontocs make safeng, a fermented food product. Among the Bontocs, they call it safeng; those from Sagada call it, sabeng. From the internet, I was able to get the recipe of Marya Tsullipas. The ingredients are spring water, sweet potatoes, cassava, fresh corn ears, broth from boiling rice (am), ripe frying bananas, cooked glutinous rice and small young squash (optional). These are placed in an earthen jar and sealed. After a week, the concoction is ready and the liquid can be drunk in a gulp or taken in sips. It is used as vinegar when cooking fish, which the Bontocs call khachiw. Others mix the liquid from safeng with water and use the mixture to boil sweet potatoes. I’ve tasted sweet potatoes boiled in this mixture and it has a different taste from those boiled in plain water. I must say the taste of safeng is acquired. The women in the ili in Bontoc and Sagada still make safeng or sabeng, respectively, since the recipes may have been passed on by their mothers or grandmothers. They know its nutritional benefits. It is for this reason that I think the knowledge of making safeng should be passed on the next generation.
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By Henry Foken 1. Our dances Most of all, our dances to identify us as Cordillereans. And I know that wherever we are, when we hear the sound of our gongs, we feel at home (if we are proud to be an Igorot, not trying to hide ourselves). Some Igorots don't want because they don't know our dances. Or they don’t understand our culture. So it’s good to share these dances to our next generation. And one more thing it seems we are one here in Europe, it is good do it here. So one day, when our next generation goes home, they will challenge some people in Cordillera. In my experience most of the next generation in the Cordillera doesn’t know where they come from. Because most that they know now is Born again... That's why, it’s good to share these to the next generations. 2. Our Songs I should say that our songs are mostly monotone. That's why most of the people don't hear so much or are not interested at all, especially if they don't know the language. In my experience again how to make it interesting to other people is, mixed like modern but not modern. For example: Sing the song with guitar or other instrument, plus in every paragraph there’s a refrain. And mostly, the refrain or chorus is the place to tell what you mean in that song. Another is, it is the artist who also makes it attractive. One sample which I composed is "Cordillera."
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By Patrick A. Bounggick and Cristabel Olat-Bounggick The Igorots are composed of different tribal groups who share some common attributes, but also have many distinct differences in traditions, dialects and practices. Luckily, Patrick and I belong to the same tribal group so we have a common culture hence, we combined our report. We are both pure Igorots by origin, but our childhood exposure was not sufficient or honestly, we did not take seriously the importance of our culture. Thus, sharing our thoughts on this query is based on our background, observations, experiences and exposure. First, it is an honor to be called by our Igorot names “Layugan and Dono.” We acquired our names through rituals, with chants and pinikpikan performed by our parents. We inherited our Igorot names from our great-grandparents and quite advantageous, for knowing the same names from others could be traced that she or he is our relative. Secondly, it is quite essential teaching our children our very own dialect. No matter where we are, who we are, migrants or immigrants, our children should express themselves speaking our dialect. The communication problem will not be only affected but being Igorot as a whole. Our children should be aware that we have several dialects such as Kankanaey, Ibaloi, Ifugao, Itneg, Isneg, Kalinga. The Igorot dances are by themselves beautiful, meaningful and unique. Encourage and teach the young generation to wear our costumes by involving them in any activity such as presenting our dances for any invitations, joining special occasions and attending seminars or consultations. Provide them the proper understanding of our various weaving designs and their meanings. Hence, our dances and costumes should be appreciated and preserved. The second generation should be prioritized in such gatherings like seminars/ consultations sponsored by our organization, BIMAAK Europe or Igorot Global Organization.
What are the Core Values and Other Aspects of the Igorot Culture That We Want to Have? By Judith Balangyao What are they doing?.. Are they going mad talking to themselves or talking to no one?.. Why are they doing that?...and more what's and why's. These are the kind of questions I often asked myself every time I witness my parents, grandparents or any “alapos” doing some of the Igorot rituals or ceremonies especially on occasions like weddings, christening, burials or festivals, either sad or happy gatherings. Some of which I take as impractical or unnecessary and some I appreciate and would probably practice myself if I cross such situations... yes, I'm interested in understanding or learning more about these practices. Igorot arts, crafts and costumes are also valuable to me. It really shows how the first Igorots are so creative to come up with all these to survive life with just very little thing they possess. Our costumes are so original too (especially men's) that really turn people's head back once they have an eye on them. These are stuff we could actually bring with us wherever we go around this globe. Having them handy makes it easier for us to explain/tell people about the place where we come from. Most importantly is keeping the values and right conduct emphasised on us by our Igorot parents since birth. These include respect to parents and the elderly; and the importance of education. Igorots may not be that showy in expressing their love (in my own opinion) but they're genuine inside them. I grew up in a multi-cultural society back home and even when I was still young, I already noticed the difference in children's behaviours depending really on everyone’s upbringing. Igorot children would not probably kiss their mum when they meet in the street but would definitely offer a help when needed...even if this means carrying a sack full of “kamote” or “saba” with their school uniform. There is really nothing worse than showing disrespect to parents or the elderly. Another thing I appreciate so much is how Igorot parents (or most parents) stress the importance of education on their children. They take it as the only treasure they could pass on as an inheritance...remember the story about this Igorot father who sold all his cows and land just to send his son to college?? That’s just an example...and mind you, it's not an experience of just one but many. These are all significant for me as I live and would love to pass on to younger ones too if I will be given the chance.
Impressions By Caridad Fiar-od
The ICBE consultation will always be memorable in my life for many reasons. In summary, it was a conference at the right place, at the right time with the right theme focused on an issue, participated by the right number of participants of all ages with right disposition. Having been all right, the attendees left happy and contented with their active participation in the workshops, tours, social presentations, etc. As each one has her own tendencies and imperfections, such were taken as challenges and opportunities that made everything in smooth sailing, For us from the Philippines, we will be missing the 101 different kinds of cheese and chocolates. Our amusement and excitement included the train, boat and bus rides around the cities and within the snowy Alps mountains, the comfort and hospitality accorded to us by every family who invited us in their chalet, homes or apartments. Our souls were lifted by the accommodating and generous Igorots and Swiss we had met in the street, church, park, chateaus, toilettes, etc. In a scale of ten, if I were to rate the degree of success of the ICBE consultation, it was a resounding success with a rating of 11 above the scale. It was more than what I expected. With the theme "Our Igorot Cordillera Culture: Heritage and Social Integration," the conference in its real sense was well defined by the cultural integration of the Swiss cow-bells sound with the Igorot gongs to produce music that Igorots and Swiss could dance with, either as a group or with a partner. The roses given by the Swiss children and mothers to all of us, Igorot mothers, on Mother’s Day last May 8 made it very meaningful and symbolic that I will always treasure. My experience was really amusing. The organizers deserve to be congratulated for their collaborative efforts from the excellent planning to the execution evidenced by the "no hassles and puzzles" and a balance involvement of the mind, body, and soul. There was the workshop to activate the mind; the dancing, walking and eating for the physical need; the ecumenical service/mass for the spiritual need. The service, per se, integrated folk singing and praying without disregarding the global common practice of any church service. It was also an honor that the Honorable Ambassador Rora Tolentino gave priority to the Igorot Gala Night over all her scheduled engagement. The more I felt as proud as an Igorot when the Ambassador expressed her admiration to the Igorot organization with ethnic linguistic identity moving towards global momentum for solidarity. Specifically, if I were to ask myself what was ICBE consultation for me, aside from all the things mentioned earlier, I am very happy that the youth with Swiss-Igorot parentage or British-Igorot parentage were much interested in learning about Igorot culture when they have to interview me about Igorot culture. I was approached by one student if I could enrich her University report about the Igorot culture. The ICBE activity also enriched my forum paper which I presented to the Department of Human Geographics at the University of Zurich. Hence, with sincerity, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to the organizers for inviting me to participate in the ICBE that would surely mean so much in my life. In so, as I breathe freely, I say, "It’s the real thing and how I wish I was an Igorot-Swiss." I look forward to attending the next ICBE consultation. Kabunyan is Great!!!
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By Marjorie Lev
My impression of the conference was "No Comments". It was well presented, well organized and most they were united, always smiling and you can see them without pressure but a little bit nervous. The wives of our gentlemen, husbands of our women and their children were all very active and you can see there eagerness to participate in everyway they could. You look around and see those happy faces of the children still unaware of what is going on, but with a deep sigh, you tell yourself wow! What an interesting second generation we will have. More half breeds are coming .We have made in the Phil, in the USA. Europe, Canada, Australia, name it, we are international. Thank you! Very much to the first generation that through their patience and hard work some impossible were made possible. I also thanked the stuff of Friedegg Hotel. They are very friendly, good service, good food, and the atmosphere is like you are home away from home. But most I enjoyed the cultural night and the sightseeing. The participation of the Swiss yodeler group, their big and heavy bells with them and their round red cheeks that reminds me of the people in the mountain trail, especially In Sinipsip every time I go home to Sagada. (Joking) To Bibak Switzerland, long live I salute each and every one of you, keep up the good work, and see you again in Australia next year.
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Albert Bacdayan
It is a good bet that everybody is extolling the superb organization, programming of content and siting of the conference and the hospitality of the host group, the Switzerland Igorots. They deserve our deepest gratitude for a job done well and our best wishes for God's continuing blessing on them of grace, health, prosperity and happiness. I was most impressed by the enthusiasm, the support and the hard work of the Swiss Igorot in-laws and by the presence and participation of the young ones. It is no idle hope to wish that they will grow knowing who they are and proud of it and be a credit to their forebears of both sides and to themselves and the world. My wife, Carolyn, and I stayed one more night after the conference. It felt empty and lonely with everybody gone. Only the good memories cheered the day. When I went to the office the following morning to bid good-bye and thank the staff for all they did to make the gathering a memorable experience, they remarked that they enjoyed hosting the Igorots and would welcome having them back. One, seeming to speak for all of them, said that they enjoyed seeing people who enjoy seeing each other. It was clear from the gestures and facial expressions of those present that they were unanimous in that sentiment. That impression on their part speaks very well of all of us. We were a very happy and loving group, indeed! And our enjoyment of each other was as palpable as it was genuine. Long live the Igorots and the ICBE!
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Fred Labfayong
I was not expecting that our meeting will really have that memorable end result. Especially during the gala night, taking into account that: we have very little time to prepare, we were still able to make that presentation I guess we are also a master of improvising. The participation of the Jodler group was indeed very professional.. I've heard comments, "That: it is a pity that the Swiss TV did not make any report on it.” At the beginning of the organization of the 3rd ICBE, we from Switzerland are really much concerned about the question, "Can we fulfill the expectation of our future participants ? Also, we are not so much enthusiastic about the advertising of that event.. specially.. because of the high cost of the event.” but in the end I guess we were able to satisfy the expectation of our guests. We, ourselves have the same feeling of satisfaction. Proud that: The organization, the presentation, the decoration etc.. seems to have functioned professionally. Just my opinion: I guess, one point where this meeting was different from the others is that: The Swiss mentality of perfection when it comes to organization, presentation, hospitality etc. Since our group is also a Swiss- Filipino, we are being influenced by those positive traits of perfectionism. It is indeed good to enrich our culture thru mixed marriage. A positive asset indeed.
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Judith Balanyao
ICBE..such event is really inviting, not merely because of having the chance to visit a new place but especially because of having the opportunity to once again meet up with our “kailians,” to hand-and-hand enliven the culture we thought we could only find at home. Another exciting thing about it is the idea of meeting some strangers whom we actually share the same thoughts, beliefs, conduct, dialect etc....which means that there will be no space of any sort of shyness or awkwardness....and that's exactly how i find the 3rd ICBE consultation. And a big Thank You to BIBAK-Switzerland group who really welcomed us with their open arms. They really made our stay as comfortable as we less expected. I'm pretty sure that their preparation for the whole occasion had taken a lot of their time, effort, patience, etc...as evidenced by the success of it...WELL DONE EVERYONE!!!!! I'm also grateful for the tour which brought us around Aeschi, a place any one would wish to visit. Not to forget...always listen to your tour guide just in case a surprise quiz is waiting for you at the end of the day....that is if you want to win a prize...thanks for the swiss knife. Lastly, the memorable visit to the alps especially to Gornergrat is incomparable. It’s just so amazing and fabulous that i promised myself to visit again sometime. It's really worth staying another extra day(s). Thanks also for the lovely little chalet where we stayed in Grimmialp...it's small but was able to accommodate at least 10 people...how was that possible???? ask the Igorots.
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Cesar T. Taguba
On the whole, the 3rd ICBE consultation achieved its objectives and my personal expectations. This is to be attributed to the excellent preparatory work, participation of many in formulating the program, in taking part in the various consultation activities. The superb organizational work of BIBAK Switzerland contributed to the smooth flow of the activities. It is important for BIBAK Switzerland to share their valuable experiences and insights in playing well their role as host in a highly organized and efficient way (ala the famous Swiss watch). There was warm camaraderie between the young and old, new participants and those in the previous consultations, those coming from outside Europe and the European participants, the foreign guests and partners with the participants. The women played an outstanding role, which speaks very well of the advances of the Cordillera women’s movement. The program was well balanced. Roles and responsibility were shared. Consensus on the program content and procedure were easily reached, avoiding unnecessary lengthy and divisive debates. While the focus was on the Cordillera (particular), there was recognition of being a part of a larger entity - the Filipino people and nation and the migrant community or diaspora (general). The output was substantial and relevant to the consultation theme. It was a joyous consultation with lots of laughter, informality and spontaneity. The impressive cultural evening highlighted the importance of cultural art forms (dancing, singing, chanting) as a source of identity, instrument for inter-cultural exchange and to establish solidarity. In future consultations, we may have to be multi-lingual to enable more to participate in a language they are most familiar and comfortable with. Command of the main consultation language bestows an element of power, which may unconsciously make others feel inadequate or inferior, thus affecting their participation. We should also devise our program to achieve more focus on key issues and do adequate work to ensure output (i.e. circulation of discussion papers and main reference reading materials long before the consultation, etc). Moreover, we should make plans to make consultations affordable so more can attend. It is fine that provisions for continuity are made through the publication of the Proceedings, opening up of additional web site and formation of a Consultative Committee to work with BIBAK Ireland for the 2007 4th ICBE Consultation. BIBAK Switzerland may have to take the initiative to get proposals for the theme of the 4th ICBE, as soon as possible. Our loose, consultative and consensual method and leadership structure are serving us well, giving us much room and space for initiative and creativity. Next ICBE consultation, we may have to decide on a structure and method to correspond to the gains we made, realities on the ground and to give substance to our Europe-wide character.
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Ric Cuyob
The big improvement in terms of preparation, organisation of activities and active participation of delegates in this 3rd ICBE consultation impressed me. With the moral support and assistance of certain individuals, BIBAK-Switzerland has made well in the preparation of the venue and organised the fetching of arriving delegates from the station to the venue. The planned series of activities have been executed smoothly from the point of arrival until the closing of the consultation. There was an active participations of delegates in almost all the activities except some confusion on the first workshop where some did not know what group they belonged. The topics for discussion were tackled and the question, “What is it in our culture that we want to pass to the next generations?” was clarified. The sightseeing and the cultural evening gave a lasting imprint in my memory. I have realized the importance of being rooted to his/her own culture for it makes him/her behave well and attentive to the presence of the other culture. It is my impression that this rootedness in one’s proper culture makes one interested and respectful of the other. This could be verified as BIBAK-Switzerland maintain and initiate further the cultural interaction with the yodellers and their families in the community of Aeschi.
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Yvonne Belen
When I left the consultation, I was happy for many reasons. BIBAK Switzerland hosted the conference in an organized manner. They prepared meticulously for the day-to-day and hour-by-hour activities. They overcame the obstacles of planning a conference, foremost was the far distance of the members from each other. We were a bunch of energetic participants, eager to share our thoughts and experiences on the aspects of our culture we want to pass on and to have; we had serious moments and many occasions filled with humor. The jokes never seemed to end, even after the conference, when we went to Grimmialp. Our speakers prepared their talks and made it interesting with audio-visual materials. Workshop facilitators saw to it that discussions went on smoothly. And our moderators for some sessions, who were requested to take the place of those absent or had to leave earlier, willingly did their part. I enjoyed the cultural evening with the presence of the Swiss yodellers. It was my first time, and hopefully not the last, to see yodellers with cow bells. I always thought that cow bells were hung only around the neck of cows. What I didn’t know was there were huge cow bells, up to 15 kilos and more in weight, which could be hung on a person’s waist. And when several of these persons sway the cow bells, the musical sound reverberates in the hall. During the tour, we had more views of the mountains and lakes - Thun and Brienz. From the mountains where we viewed nature’s breadth, we went to Aareschlucht, a gorge where we saw its depth. For someone who lives in a country with mainly flat land, seeing mountains (this time, in Switzerland) was like going home to the mountain provinces in the Cordillera. Of course, there are differences like the snow, architecture of houses, cow bells, to mention a few, which we don’t have back home. But how delightful it was to wake up in the morning, glance out of the window and see the towering mountain in front of Hotel Friedegg. I felt I was in Bontoc. Finally, I saw the Matterhorn from Zermatt and Gornergrat. I have seen the Matterhorn only in picture books and travel guides on Switzerland. When the opportunity came to have a view of the mountain, I grabbed it and invited other participants who could stay one day more. It was a crisp sunny morning when we went and we saw the Swiss side of the mountain. For me, it was quality time at the conference and two days afterwards. I lived through those days from one memorable experience to another.
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Peter Agnaonao
My impression is that this was a wonderful consultation brought about by the fact that hosting the ICBE has helped the Swiss-BIBAK to work hard and cooperate with one another. The big improvement in organising our European consultation is very noticeable. All throughout the duration of the consultation, I observed a good sense of equality among the delegates. I have the impression that this practice of hosting a consultation can become a good venue to develop future organisation managers. Bravo to BIBAK-Swiss and to all delegates for this memorable consultation.
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Cristabel Olat-Bounggick
Indeed, Patrick and I were impressed! It was a long journey by car from Vienna, approximately 10 hours and a few kilometers away from the venue, we nearly got lost. Ruth, who was resourceful in providing us with a walkie talkie, facilitated the easier communication of our two pilots, Patrick and Julius (considering that phone calls are not possible). Thereby, we arrived just on time at Hotel Friedegg. Upon arrival, we were met by the welcoming smiles of other participants and the hospitality of the host accompanying us to our assigned rooms. The well-decorated surrounding was unique and very ethnic, so it was a homely atmosphere. We missed Rose and Agpad Nabert for not attending the consultation. They wired us in Vienna, when they were in Salzburg, of their flying back immediately to Canada because of the health problem of Agpad’s mother. Later, we learned of her death. For this, we join Rose and Agpad and the Igorot community in mourning, “Even as we mourn this loss, we know within our hearts that those we love are never really gone, and may our Kabunian bless her in peace.” The Consultation achieved its concept. The ICBE is moving in terms of organization, planning and implementation. It was a hard task of the BIBAK Switzerland considering the geographical situation yet it did work successfully. The motivation was strong and everybody was involved that no hindrances for the old and young participated in one way or another during the affair. The support and assistance of our speakers contributed in attaining our objectives; mentioning a few such as Mia Abeya for her leadership in organizing the instant dancers the night before the cultural presentation and Marjorie Lev, who joined our group during our presentation even without rehearsal. Julio Monico was quite resourceful making “magic” supplying our needs at the last minute for our group presentation. Yvonne, our forever initiator, was full of diligence and enthusiasm gathering us for the pre-conference, etc. designating our particular assignment. The participants were really flexible and cooperative with each other and determined to fulfill one common goal. The affair for us was so exciting, memorable and most of all enriched our experiences and interest. It was also an opportunity to meet old and new friends as well as relatives. I also consider it a break from our routine daily activities, which is worthwhile for having the chance of seeing other places.
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Oskar Meyer
Day trip to the Aare Gorge
We drove along the left side of the lake towards Interlaken passing through beautiful villages on the way. As we were lucky with the weather we could enjoy the wonderful view of the Lake of Thun surrounded by beautiful mountains. Our first stop was a short one to the spectacular view point "Luegibrüggli" situated just below the "Beatenberg". From here we could see Interlaken and the three world-famous mountains: The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Everyone took this ideal opportunity to take photographs of this well known picture postcard theme. Even though the sun was shining it was quite cool so we were all very grateful to get back into our warm coach. We then drove along the new motorway, opened in 1988, which runs alongside the left bank of the Lake of Brienz. We paused only for a short while to take photographs at the motorway picnic area "Iseltwald". As we travelled on through the 3,300 metre long Giessbach tunnel l wondered how many of us realized that the famous Giessbach waterfall was thundering over us. Not long after we arrived in Meiringen and parked in the car-park at the entrance to the Aare Gorge which was our destination. Even this entrance was breathtaking. It makes one realize how insignificant human beings are when we see this remarkable landscape that nature has created during the past 20 million years. From this point on raincoats were required and everyone appreciated any water resistant clothing that they had brought with them, especially äs in the galleries the water dripped on us constantly from above. This didn't spoil our enthusiasm in any way because after each bend we were rewarded with a new and fascinating sight. Over thousands of years the River Aare had worn a path (200 metres deep and 1,400 metres in length) through the rocks. After this visit we were able to warm ourselves up again in the nearby restaurant until we were all requested to once again take our seats in the coach. On our return journey we drove along the right side of the lake passing Brienz and Oberried until we arrived in Interlaken where we could do some shopping. Small groups quickly formed and everyone set off to look around the town. Unfortunately now, due to a change in the weather, it had started to rain and had become quite cool. So once again we were all very glad to be able to board our coach which was waiting for us at 3 o'clock near the Station. It didn't take long before we arrived back in Aeschi but before we left the bus our driver took us to another view point at the Alpenblick Hotel here, due to the bad weather, which had set in, we couldn't see very far. And so, soon after we arrived safely back at our hotel. l would like to take this opportunity to thank 3rd IGOROT Cordillera Europe for being able to join them on this tour. l will never forget this. l would also like to thank Teofila Hofer for inviting me and making this weekend a weekend to remember. Special thanks go to Lolit and Jürg Hafner for organizing the trip. It was really well done, especially Jürg who gave us special information and explanations during the trip." We are also grateful to our driver for our accident free drive along picturesque roads. Day trips for guests Alongside the workshops Jürg Hafner organized special day trips for guests. Because of this, a small group had the possibility to visit the "Trümmelbachfälle" or Trummelbach Falls, near Lauterbrunnen on Friday morning. This fantastic nature spectacle will stay imprinted in our minds. In the afternoon, shortly after lunch we set off for the planned trip to the "Blausee". After only a half an hour's journey we arrived at our first stop and then after a ten minute walk we were standing at the edge of the lake. As we stood looking out over this small romantic lake we could see huge trout swimming and splashing around in the glass clear water. Because it was quite cool we decided to warm ourselves up with a good cup of coffee in the nearby restaurant. After this we walked around the lake using the well made path. At the bottom of the lake we saw the mysterious and secretive mermaid through the clear, glistening water. For the walk back to the car park we chose a more adventurous path and as we squeezed ourselves between fallen rocks we felt as though we had travelled back into ancient times. It was a wonderful feeling to find this peaceful place only a few hundred meters from our noisy and busy civilization. After only a few minutes drive we arrived at the construction sight of the new Lötschberg tunnel. There couldn't have been a more spectacular change of scenes. First almost untouched nature and second the home of modern machinery and technical equipment, which are helping mankind to make a hole through this huge and imposing mountain. In the future a train will be able to travel the 34 kilometers through this tunnel. During their journey l wonder how many travelers will realize what danger the men who work here had faced and what courage they had needed to achieve their aim. We learnt more about the construction work at the tunnel during a very interesting and informative speech presented on site. Another trip had been planned, a trip to Kandersteg, but as time was running short we decided to set off on the journey back to our hotel where we arrived in time for an enjoyable evening meal. |
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Thank You Letters
Ric Cuyob and Peter Agnaonao
To the members of BIBAK Switzerland and to all the delegates of the 3rd ICBE consultation, Peter and I would like to express also our gratitude to everyone and congratulate the BIBAK Switzerland for doing all the most backbreaking jobs before, during and after the whole affair that made our 3rd ICBE consultation a unique and unforgettable one. For all the wisdoms imparted to us, the exchanges of experiences and the overall joyful and enjoyable consultation, we (Peter and I) are back here in Belgium and in our works safe and sound. We also would like to tell you that after the consultation we became wiser, more experienced, more joyful and consultable, but most of all more enjoyable than before ... he, he, he. Would you like to know a proof of it? Okay... When we arrived at the train station in Brussels, it was already passed 11 p.m. because of some delays and so in order to come home quickly we decided to take one taxi dropping by Peter's place first and then I will continue to my place. Upon arrival at the place of Peter, Cristobal must have been there still awake waiting for his father that late because when we rang the bell he immediately opened the door before his mother and to his awe he seemed to have not seen us for so long that he called the attention of his mother laughing and saying, "Look mama! They have two different hair styles, one has brush up and the other has brush down. That's genial!" Such feeling of surprise prompted one of us to quickly tell him with a wink of an eye, "This is it. To go to the Swiss Alps, you have to go down in order to get up and you have to go up in order to get down. The same with our haircuts, they may either let you up or let you down!" (Hey! Don't think of other things with your green minds you down there!) Ric Cuyob
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Dominga Webber
Dear Everyone, Just arrived from Switzerland to attend the 3rd Igorot Cordillera BIMAAK Europe Consultation and I wished I am still there. The consultation was Hosted by BIBAK Switzerland and the venue was held in Hotel Friedegg, Aeschi (May 5-8, 2005). I am just about to leave for work so I just want to congratulate the BIBAK Switzerland team for a job well done. I salute you all for all your hard work and efforts and for making us so welcome, specially to Lolit and Juerg, Claire and Martin, Violeta, Fred and all the others involved in the planning for making this event very memorable. Especially the gala night which I think is exceptionally unique. The very supportive talk of the ambassador followed by the exceptional presentation of the yoddelers of the Swiss Alps made this consultation very unique and unforgettable. I would say this must be the best yet ICBE consultation if not the noisiest that I have attended. The intercultural exchanges of the Igorots and Swiss through music and dances were a true example of East and West integration. I will report my account of the consultation later, but I just have to say THANK YOU!!!!!!! BIBAK SWISS FOR A JOB WELL DONE. Your hard work and effort is greatly appreciated. And Thank you fellow delegates for the fellowship of sharing and exchanging your ideas and your wisdom which we hope to have gained knowledge and better understanding of our culture and the friendship which we will treasure and the laughter which we hope to share again next time we meet. "CONGRATULATIONS BIBAK SWITZERLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU." Dominga
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Mia Apolinar Abeya
To the organizers and hosts of the 3rd ICBE, Thank you all for a superbly organized 3rd European Igorot conference! It was indeed one of the most memorable conferences that I ever attended. I was quite impressed with the way we were met at the airport by Fred L, met at the train station by the welcoming committee, the active participation of your European spouses, the beautiful venue of the conference, the tour of the Swiss valleys and mountain gorge, the very inspiring cultural exchange that transpired between the IGorots and the Swiss community, the tour that Milo gave us to Bern (the beautiful old capital city of Switzerland) and the care that Flordeliza S. and Fred L. gave us all the way to the Zurich airport in the wee hours of the morning of Mother's day. Thank you everyone - that was a very wonderful experience that will always be a part of me. Thank you also for the opportunity to share with you my thoughts on our culture. As promised I have attached copies of both the narrative and the powerpoint presentation that I have delivered during the convention. I hope that it will help in all your future gatherings. Kindly share with Dono of the Austrian delegation - I believe she wants to use the presentation soon. Manang Yvonne, would you kindly ask any of the participants if they could share with me any video recordings taken of the 3rd ICBE proceedings? I would like to include it in my file of Igorot conferences. Thanks again for a lovely conference. Ed and I are looking forward to the next one in Ireland. This time, he will not miss! By the way, you asked me what would be a good topic for your next convention - I was thinking along the lines of "Getting Deeper into the Igorot Culture" as a follow through of our discussions in the 3rd one. There is so much to learn about our culture that our youth would really need to dig deeper to find the beauty of it all and the application of these values learned to their daily lives. More Power to you all and May your tribe increase! Mia Apolinar Abeya
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Cristabel Olat Bounggick
Kasin ya kasin ya kasin, CONGRATULATIONS!! Although Patrick and I extended our gratitude personally and then calling you upon reaching home again sala-salamat. Patrick and I were really impressed of the BIBAK-Switzerland “Egay da napupunok.” As we have seen considering the geographical situation, but was not a hindrance of attaining the consultations objectives – planning, organizing etc. were done greatly!! Kabunyan was with us during our affair. Every participant was motivated and involved in one way or another making the affair successful. Our group from Austria had a long journey by car, but our presence was more than worthwhile. We had a tremendous experience, gained and increased our knowledge not only of our culture but an “Igorot as a whole”. More power to all of us Igorots!
Cristabel Olat Bounggick
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Sabina Kuenzi-Luninang
After reading the different feed backs of the consultation. I am happy that some were eager to share their opinions about it. I would like to thank all of you who came to join us and to make our consultation a success. I met the Phil.Amb. in the church after the mass and she said that she learn a lot about our culture and she likes to attend gatherings if she learn something out of it. She said we have a wonderful group and she extend her greetings and regards to all. She gave me her speech and a photo of hers for the souvenir program. This is an opportunity to thank the different committees - program , decoration, transportation, invitation, transportation, invitation and snacks donated by Rebecca Riesterer and of course the finance. You all did a great job and thank God for the unity, patience, love and understanding which bind us together to come with the 3rd ICBE Consultation. MATAGO TAKO AMIN. Sakon, Sabina
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Lolit Hafner-Monico
Dear ICBEans, kakailians and friends, Good day to all, it is so wonderful sending you off with all those happy, smiling faces after the consultation. For us BIBAK Switzerland, it is the best evidence we could have of what the spirit of this consultation has been. We have been inundated by messages from all of you telling us what a good time you had during our affair. We have to believe then that this meeting was indeed a success and had created a general feeling of satisfaction. Whatever will be reported by Ric from the evaluations, we still think that part of the success of this consultation lies - among many other things - in the active participation of all, hence we share the compliments/salutations to all the delegates. We did it all and we hope to carry on the teamwork to the next consultation. Updates in our web site (http://homepage.swissonline.ch/Swiss_BIBAK) will follow soon. We are working gradually on it. Please give your comment, input, critics (hi Ric ;-) ) etc. for the web site directly to There has been clamor for pictures and video recording during our program, so may we ask those who made films and photos to share them by prints, emails, CD or DVD. Juerg will then post the photos in the internet and Henry will produce a DVD out of the films. Wishing you all the best, lolit hafner-monico
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Natascha Passerini
Dear auntie Mia I hope you enjoyed your stay in Switzerland and you had a pleasant journey back to America. On behalf of Swiss-Igorot youth I want to thank you for your wonderful presentation you held during last weekend’s convention in Aeschi. For us it was very helpful to understand more about the Igorot culture although we couldn’t stay the whole meeting. But we are now eager to learn more about it and hopefully there are more occasions in the future to do so and to be close to our elders so that you can tell us about your experiences. That’s why I completely agree with your suggestion about the topic for the next convention: “Getting deeper into the Igorot culture”. As you said: What should we tell our children about the Igorot culture if our elders don’t teach us about it? We’ll certainly keep that in mind and we’ll make sure that we can tell your grandchildren about that wonderful culture. Thank you also for sending your presentation of the topic on Igorot culture. We will use this precious information for future references about sharing our culture. Gratefully yours Natascha Passerini
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Yvonne Belen
Hi All, I just arrived from Switzerland last night and read my mail. Also read the letters written by Fred, Dominga and Ric. So for me, this is what I have to say. Congratulations again to BIBAK Switzerland for our successful conference. You prepared and planned well for our activity. You made our arrival at the hotel easy by fetching some participants in Spiez, the nearest train station. Some participants, who were met at the the ariport, appreciated this act of hospitality. The conference site was cozy and the view around it was breathtaking. At the hotel entrance, we saw the snow-capped peaks of Niessen. From our room, we could have a glimpse of Lake Thun. And from the dining room, we could see the green meadow with yellow flowers scatttered in patches. The letterings placed on the cloth were original. It must have taken a lot of time to make those letterings. The Igorot artifacts used as room decoration made us feel like we were in the Cordillera, even if we were in the Swiss Alps. The participants were very much animated during the group discussions. Our second generation participants were also very interested in the group discussions, especially on our culture. I thought we have to go to the mountains to hear someone play the Alphorn but he was right there, outside the conference hall. That was really a surprise. Our sightseeing tour was a real break from our talking sessions. We saw more of the snow-capped mountains and had a closer view of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Of course, the ladies enjoyed the time allotted for shopping. The presentation of the jodlers was exceptional with their entrance. They got the attention of the audience. I remember Mia saying the night before when we were rehearsing, "We should make our entrance impressive. I tasted the some of the cake you baked. Naimas. Thanks very much again to all members of BIBAK Switzerland. For the Proceedings, I will write later a draft of the acknowledgement and will request BIBAK-Switzerland to help finalize it. Siya et na kasin, Yvonne
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Cecille Cobcobo
Hello again. I for one totally agree with mng. Yvonne's comments regarding the consultation. When we were met at Zurich airport and Spiez train station, we all felt the warm welcome from members who were assigned or shall i say volunteered to do the tasks. Thanks once again. Everybody at work envy me having been to such a place like Switzerland and my response was, if not for this event i would not have been to the place or i might have but would have been different. Our having such gatherings like these have made a great impression to other filipinos as these reflects how united Igorots are "So i say agbiag dagiti igorot".
Cecille
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Elizabeth B. Ut-utan
hello there from us here in Bristol, U.K. Well we are back to work but still the memories of Switzerland is still fresh in mind. The consultation as a whole, from the workshops, the discussions and topics, speakers, cultural show with the participation of the Swiss jodlers, the venue at the hotel with its friendly manager and staff and good food service and superb scenic view of Aschei and the tour guide is a memory to cherish. Both of you and your colleagues were excellent hosts. A big CONGRATULATIONS to all of you. The consultation was well organized and sucessfull. You did a brilliant, fantastic and great job, very well done. Keep up the good work and keep up the good unity that you have. In unity we stand and divided we fall, as the saying goes. I hope that the suceeding consultations will be as sucessful as you had. CHERWAI!!!!!! TO BIBAK-SWISS!!!!!!! Lastly a million thanks.....God bless all of you there. sak en si, elizabeth (beth) b. ut-utan igo-uk
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Judith Balangyao
Dearest all, warm greetings to each and everyone of you from Ireland...I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you and a big salute to BIBAK-Switzerland for such a successful consultation...I know that others have expressed their appreciations and gratitudes to the group the minute they land in their homes....but of course there's always the so called late bangers and we're one of them :-) BIBAK-Ireland is quite busy at the moment in preparation of our 2nd Filipino Day which will be on the 12th of June...and BIBAK pres. Dave Aragones is the overall chairman of the activity. And yesterday, our organization here meet up as our first general meeting and it was our chance to give our announcement about us being the next host of the 4th ICBE....of course at first myself and Jane had talked about how grateful we are to be there, learn a lot of new things and having fun at the same time (permi ti apal da :-) esp. when they saw the pictures....and from that when we say about the good news, positive responses had outnumbered those 2 or 3 people with negative outlook...whom we understand of course as not everyone thinks in the same way.... Although we have said it already during the endorsement back in Switzerland, we want to shout it loud again that BIBAK-Ireland is happy to host the 4th ICBE (I'm talking now with the consensus of our organization)... have a nice day everyone (^-^) judith balangyao
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Julius Banban
Greetings!
We are so grateful for your warmth welcome during the consultation. We really enjoyed the consultation with the beautiful Aeschi. Our Austrian delegates feedbacks was supper. They said they all enjoyed every minute of it. We learn many things and we want to learn more so we booking for the 2006 4th ICBE at Ireland. The only little problem was the weather but it was not a hindrance at all. We arrived home safely. It was a long trip but we did not encounter any difficulties on our way home.
With best regards,
Julius and family Igo-Austria
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Claire Koller
Hello everybody. This is Martin and I expressing our thanks for all the excellent and gratifying feedbacks we BIBAK SWITZERLAND are rerceiving from all of you. It was indeed a very successfull consultation from the beginning to the end. We ourselves were surprised how smoothly it went. Our conclution is that the theme of the consultation was fullfilled to the joy and satisfaction of each and everyone. The diff. workshops were all satisfactorily tackled according to the reports.
Thank you Ric that you did not find a black cat in that dark room because as you said there was none in the first place.
Now, in the Betreff of this e-mail I wrote honesty. I would like to share it to all of you. Yesterday morning at 6.20 A M ,we went to pick Nelly and Henry Pitog up arriving by train from Vienna. Arriving home she was missing her digital camera and cell phone, both were in the same bag. She was sure she forgot it in the train as she took some pictures on the way. Martin called the respective office and was told to let him know when they find it. After dinner Donno called from Vienna to inform us that she received a call from the States that the the bag with the camera and cellphone were found and can be picked up from Daniela in the reception of Hotel Sofitel in Zürich. What a relief for Nelly that her allergie got even better. How did it land in the reception of the hotel?--The cabin personal who found it asked the receptionist of the hotel to see what she can do to find the owner as he does not have much time before going back to wotk. (The train staff stay in Sofitel when in Zürich)She then openned the cellphone,got the sim card put it in hers and could call the first nr stored and that is the one in the states. The states called Donno in Vienna and Vienna called us, Martin called Daniela of Sofitel and at about 10 p m Nelly got her camera and cellphone back with the documentation of the consultation and her vacation all intack as they left Switzerland this morning at 7 A M.
It is very satifying to know that there are still honest people around. So come to Switzerland for vac. but make sure to have an honest person find whatever you loose. (Daniela did not even want to accept the token Henry gave) She was happy herself that Nelly got her camera back. Claire
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Caridad Fiar-od
Dear Lolit, Juerg and All Others,
How are all of you? I miss all of you. I just sent my report to Yvonne after so many attempts to do so because I cant understand computers in French which are used in internet cafes here in Geneve. Finally, right within the junction where my cousin Nancy Cretinnand and family live, here is an Indian gentleman who is patient enough to explain so I was able to send my report. It was unedited. Anyway, I gave Yvonne the blanket authority to edit such report. I know very well that documenting, editing, summarizing, moderating and all other good 'ings' is Yvonne's forte.
Aaaaaaay apo, ICBE, WOW, Ay apo, HOW HAPI! When will there be another ICBE? Everything exciting. Included in my report is my personal impression of the ICBE and a brief article on the Gala Night as a cultural integration per se. Lolit, do include me in your ICBE network so I get updated through my email.
My experiences in that ICBE will always be remembered as long as I live. Thank you to all of you for the many excellent things extended to us in terms of your time, treasure and talent. Even if I am sleeping, I keep imagining the Alps, the train, bus rides, the good people, the refreshing environment, the cheese esp. the raclet, the chocolates, the swiss knife, etc. Of course, I will not forget your support in buying my books. Kabunyan is Great!
I am still here in Geneva and will be going back to the Philippines on May 30 and then to Guam May 31 to June 6, 2005. Just yesterday we came from Zumikon to attend the wedding shower party for the loving newly-wed Frederic and Daniela. Another added enriching experience. Another amusing experience and a real exposure to social integration of culture between the Igorots and Swiss cultural practices.
More next time. God bless all of us.
Layad, Caridad
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Susan Kilakil
To the Members of BIBAK Switzerland and the ICBE participants,
CONGRATULATIONS to all of you for a job excellently done.
I can imagine how everybody enjoyed the gathering. Long live the EUROPEAN Igorots and their supporters.
Susan
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Fritz Portenier
Liebe Lolit und Jürg Besten Dank für die sehr erfreulichen Zeilen im Mail vom 14.5.2005. Entschuldigt bitte die etwas verspätete Antwort; Es ist viel los gegenwärtig. Es freut uns alle natürlich sehr, dass dieser Abend offenbar bei allen Anwesenden gut angekommen ist. Wir hatten diesen Eindruck ja schon am Anlass selber. Es ist mir offenbar gelungen, unsere bodenständigen Leute auf den Abend optimal einzustimmen und offen und neugierig, aber auch mit der nötigen Portion Humor die Zusammenkunft anzugehen. Vor allem war mir auch wichtig, dass unsere Leute die Kultur der Igorots auch "ernst nehmen", obwohl sie auf den ersten Blick weit von unserer entfernt ist. Die Zusammenkunft, welche von Martin Koller sehr geschickt und mit viel Gespühr geleitet wurde, hat aber sofort gezeigt, dass die Bergvölker trotz der grossen Distanz viele Gemeinsamkeiten haben, gerade auch im Umgang mit der Musik in verschiedenster Form. Kurz: Unsere Leute waren auch beeindruckt von diesem Zusammentreffen und haben "euer Volk" als sehr warmherzig, freundlich und sehr kontaktfreudig und offen empfunden. Für uns war es ein Erlebnis besonderer Art. Wir sind sogar ein wenig stolz, mit euch zusammen einen so lustigen und aufgestellten und trotzdem feinfühligen Abend erlebt zu haben. Dieser Anlass wird bei uns in die "Vereinsgeschichte" eingehen. Also, besten Dank für diesen schönen Abend!! Nun zum Schluss wünsche ich alles Gute und auf ein ander Mal! Freundliche Grüsse Fritz Portenier und die Jodlergruppe Alpengruss Aeschiried
Translation:
Dear Lolit and Juerg Thank you so much for the very pleasant words in the mail of 14th May 2005. My apologies for this delayed response, right now, there are lot of works to do. We are very happy that the gala night was clearly enjoyed by the participants. We had already these impressions on that evening. Obviously, I was successful in bringing our local folks to the right mood and let them start the evening with openness and curiosity, but also with a good portion of humor. It was important to me, that our people will take the culture of the Igorots seriously, even though on the first sight, it may seem to be very different from ours. The performance, which was smartly and tactfully moderated by Martin Koller showed us that the mountain people have a lot of things in common, mainly the music in its different form. In short: our members were also impressed about this meeting and experienced your „people“ as warm hearted, friendly, outspoken and open. It was a very special experience for us. We are even a little bit proud that we were able to have such fun, exciting and yet sensitive evening together. This event will go down in our club’s history. So, thank you very much for this nice evening. Finally, I wish you all the best and see you some other time! Best regards, Fritz Portenier und die Jodlergruppe Alpengruss Aeschiried |
