THE Municipality of Magalang won two national awards for the preservation of tradition and heritage.
The local government unit, headed by Mayor Malu Paras Lacson and Vice-Mayor Norman Lacson, received the first Philippine heritage award for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
President Rodrigo Duterte handed over the award to the mayor and vice-mayor on October 24 at the Malacañang.
Earlier, the LGU was awarded first place for Best Practices in Community-based Responsible Tourism (community-based heritage conservation project/program) category by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) and Department of Tourism (DOT) Best Tourism Practices of the Philippines Awards, otherwise known as the ATOP-DOT Pearl Awards, held in Cagayan De Oro City.
Lacson said she was elated by the two awards they received in 2018.
She stressed that the preservation of culture, tradition and heritage “is primarily beneficial to the people of Magalang.”
“It’s not us officials who should be chiefly credited but the people of Magalang,” she said.
Ryan Miranda, Magalang tourism officer, disclosed that they won the two prestigious national awards for supporting the Lubenas tradition of their town. It involves the creation of the traditional Magalang lanterns.
The project’s name that won the award for Magalang was “Ing Banal a Batuin Qng Magalang: Lubenas Ning Pasku” (The holy stars of Magalang: Nine days of Christmas procession with traditional Kapampangan lanterns and masses).
“The initiative of the Magalang government was able to inspire the parish pastoral councils, the barangay councils and the community to work as one coordinated body with a common objective to produce lanterns in the most creative and finest craftsmanship each has to offer, in the spirit of preserving a cultural gem passed on by elder Magalenos and reliving the traditions of Lubenas and Maytinis for the appreciation of the present generation and archiving it for the future,” he said.
“Lubenas used to be a dying tradition until Mayor Lacson actively revived it during her first few months in office in 2016. Only 11 barangays joined in 2016. In 2017, 13 barangays joined. This year, there will be 20 barangays joining,” said Miranda.
The Lubenas 2018 will be held on December 13. The grand winner will receive P100,000 cash prize.
Last September, a municipal ordinance was passed supporting the Lubenas tradition. It requires the participants in the competition to parade the lanterns for nine days in their respective village.
Miranda said the lanterns of Magalang are predominantly colored white. It has no tails, added Miranda.
Lubenas came from the word Novena, which means nine days of “Simbang Gabi.” In the ordinance, Lubenas refers to Kapampangans holding of a procession on the eve of every “Simbang Gabi.” (Chris Navarro)