Travel Destination International Arts Festival Baguio City 8th Tam-awan

INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL DAY 5 : Tam-Awan photo-documentation 21th May 2017, Sunday  

Tam-awan Village started its humble beginnings around 1996. This is a result of BenCab / Tam-awan Village group of Cordillera artists who envisaged and set-up the place with the aim/objective for the preservation of Cordillera culture & traditions.

There's no substitute to good working habits. One must show up at the venue of an event ahead of time and the instant benefit I received is to document the place just like a boss. The absence of human traffic is just timely with the exception of the presence of two wooden fertility idols called "bululs" doing their sentinel 24/7 jobs that is, "guarding" an indigenous hut without fail. Subtle animism/protection.

An Ifugao hut adorned by growing wild natural Baguio fern plants.

If you and/or a group plan to stay and sleep overnight at Tam-awan Village, here is a link to their rate page and Tam-awan Cafe's menu/rates. (This is not a paid endorsement.)

The Ugnayan Gallery is one of the galleries and among the few points of interest to visit at Tam-awan Village which houses various art works (paintings, wood carvings, etc.,).  Ugnayan a Filipino word which means connection in thought; correlation. BenCab also inaugurated in 2001 the Tam-awan's Village Gallery with an exhibition of paintings on handmade paper in Tam-awan Village, Baguio.

Tam-awan Village has its unique handmade loom weaving demonstration area where tourists/visitors can observe how Cordillera ethno-indigenous fabric/cloth are made.  

My photography colleague Gio and I finished quickly our breakfast of sweet boiled Baguio yams/sweet potato and cups of hot Benguet brewed coffee.   

Whilst waiting for the closing ceremony activities to commence, guest artists from the southern part of the Philippines use their time wisely by doing pencil portraiture sketches.

The five (5) days art festivities/activities  in conjunction with the celebration of the National Heritage Month  at Tam-awan Village - Home of the Tam-awan International Arts Festival now in its eight year.

Whilst waiting for the closing ceremonies to start, an assembly of Cordillera ethno-indigenous dancers, musicians prepare for the public performance.

During the festivity, the “Tayao” (indigenous dance of Ibaloi) was performed. The dance is  between two person, a man and a woman. The man hangs two indigenous blankets shoulders, while woman is wrapped  by  a piece of indigenous  blanket. After few rounds of dancing, the crowd says "oooo, ooo-way, Adi-bay" (which means - "God bless you / Be Happy") and later on joined by the rest of the members of the community/audience.

An Ibaloi woman of Bokod, Benguet wearing her ethno-indigenous traditional tapis "Aten" and carrying the two-colour tayao blankets/cloth dances with cultural/traditional pride the "tayao".

The rhythmic beat goes with the drumming of gangsa (on as Cordillera ethno-indigenous men continue to dance the tayao.

Behind the scenes photos of Cordillera performers also documenting their colleagues dance using a mobile tablet with camera. Modern tools with traditional/customs do keep up with the changing times.

Cordillera ethno-indigenous beats using a traditional "sulibao" drums from Bontoc/Ibaloi, Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines which is made from a hollowed out log covered with deer skin. A sulibao/solibao conical tenor drum is played using with the palms of both hands.

If you inadvertently missed Day 1 of Tam-awan International Arts Festival 2017... Click on the link below:

INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL TRAVEL DESTINATION SOLAR PAINTINGS BAGUIO SKY GARDEN 

and

Also, here's Day 3 of Tam-awan International Arts Festival 2017... Click on the link below:

PHILIPPINES TRAVEL DESTINATION BAGUIO CITY 8TH TAM-AWAN ARTS FESTIVAL OPENING  

The picture above is called "Bag-iw" an Ibaloi word which refers to moss where Baguio City's name was  derived.Baguio City is situated at an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) in the Luzon tropical pine forests eco-region conducive for the growth of mossy plants and orchids.

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City of Baguio

Province of Benguet

National Commission for Culture and the Arts

Proudly Asean 

Chanum Foundation, Inc.

8th Tam-awan International Festival
Participating ArtistsAGLAUN (La Union, Rene Niro and co.)
ARTIPOLO (Antipolo City, Pol Mesina Jr. and co)
Batanes Artists and Cultural Workers (Mytz Abelador and co.)
BISKEG (Dagupan, Patrick Fernandez and co.)
Binangonan Artists (Lester Rodriguez and co.)
Bolinao Visual Artists (Herwin Buccat and co.)
Butuan Visual Artists (Mr. Rene Dublois and co.)
Bayugan Visual Artists (Clifford Morano and co.)
Bacolod Artists (Karina Broce-Gonzaga and co.)
CCVAA (Calbayog City, Western Samar, Mr. Nilo Rodriguez and co.)
Gensan Artists (Edrick Aguirre and co.)
Iloilo Visual Artists (Cezar Arro and co.)
Laguna & Taytay Visual Artists (Japat Guevarra and co.)
Manila Artists (Eman Santos and co.)
OMEGA (Manila-Cainta, Jorge Jacinto and co.)
Pampanga Artists (Don Reich De Dios and co.)
PAEA (EJ Jacinto and co.)
Sarangani Artists (Jayson Donaal and co.)
Mr. Dante Enage of Tacloban City
Mr. Egai Fernandez of NCCA and co.
UE Artists (Kim Taqueban and co.)
Vigan Artists (Dr. Oliver Rabara and co.)
Young Artists Guild of Camarines Norte (Albert Abanes and co)
Zamboanga Visual Artists (Chester Mato and co.