Arts festival highlights Panagbenga

Friday, January 14, 2011

THE 20th Philippine Arts Festival, a national event, coinciding with the city's celebration of the Panagbenga, will highlight the numerous arts and cultural-related events during the Flower Festival.

Tourists will surely enjoy the 1st ever pinikpikan cook-off, the 108 gongs performance by various city elementary and high school students, the installation of the Axis Art Project by renowned Baguio artist Kawayan De Guia, and the Cinemarehiyon Festival by the NCCA featuring films shot in Baguio and the Asia-Africa Film Festival.
Dubbed the 2100 Ipitik Festival, it is an event of cultural re-vitalization celebrating ritual and old ways. Even as it breaks the rules of tradition and nonchalantly shrugs off all worries about invention, it bridges a gap between generations of Cordillerans and epochs of Cordilleran history, according to Padmapani Perez, an anthropologist based in Baguio.

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The Ipitik will also conduct the search for the tapuy master brewer, the best rice-wine maker in the region. An on-the-spot woodcarving competition will also be held.

The said festival will run from February 20 until the end of the said month at the Baguio Rose Garden in Burnham Park.

People of the Cordillera are cordially invited to join the competitions. Interested participants may get application forms and contact mechanics from the Ipitik Secretariat at VOCAS (Victor Oteyza Community Art Space), La Azotea Building, Session Road, Baguio City. Deadline of submission of application forms for the contests is February 4. Submit your application forms to the Ipitik Secretariat.

The said festival is expected to add more color to the Panagbenga festival as tourists seem to only come here for the floral and street parades. This added feature offers more interesting events for them to watch and participate in.

The 2011 Ipitik is spearheaded by festival director Ferdinad Balanag, the Office of Congressman Vergara and the Office of Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan.(Grace Bandoy)