A Significance of KANNAWIDAN

The old and the new in Ilocano culture are both featured in this year’s Kannawidan Ylocos Festival -  the festival of Ilocos Sur that celebrates its being a separate province and its being a treasure chest of traditions and culture. 

Held in the Heritage City of Vigan from January 28 to February 17, the festival opened with the residents’ expression of gratitude to the blessings of God on January 28.  Government workers from national and local offices, public officials and members of non-government-organizations united in the Holy Mass celebrated at Saint Paul Cathedral in this city and the procession afterwards. As people of faith in the Christian world, Ilocanos are gathered in their religious events on special feast days of patron saints.

To show this deeply-rooted culture of the people of Ilocos Sur, 40 icons of the Catholic Saints were part of the procession, including those of the Virgin Mary as Apo Namacpacan de La Union, Apo Remedios de Pangasinan, and Apo Caridad or Our Lady of Charity, among others.  The icons of Jesus Christ on procession, too, were as Santo Nino, Señor Nazareno, Santo Cristo Milagroso of Sinait and Vigan, and Kristo nga Ari or Nasantoan a Puso ni Hesus. 

During the opening of the festival on January 29 at Kannawidan grounds in Barangay Tamag, an ethnic dance called ‘tadek’ was performed by 100 students of Grades 7 to 12 and teachers of San Emilio National High School. “Tadek” is an indigenous opening ritual. Some of the students continued performing ‘tadek’ during the formal opening of the food, trade fairs, and exhibits.

Gov. Singson acknowledged the help of the Department of Education (DepEd) in the conduct of provincial activities. He reminded the teachers who attended the first day of the festival that the event not only showcases their history, culture and traditions, what they are as Ilocanos, but it also reminds them that on February 2, 1818,  Ilocos Sur became an independent province. And this year is the 201st anniversary.

The DepEd Ilocos Sur Division led the Education Day where thousands of teachers joined, and hundreds of students performed folk dances and folk songs through rondalla and chorale competitions. Gemma Tacuycuy, the schools division superintendent, said the DepEd is thankful of the festival which gathers the students and teachers to preserve, cherish and promote Ilocos Sur’s indigenous culture, folk music, and art.

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Vigan City Fiesta 2020!

The Vigan City Fiesta is held in honour of St. Paul the Apostle, the city’s patron saint, on 25 January each year. Locals and tourists gather to experience and see the street dancing, carnivals, food fairs, and arts and crafts, adding to the attraction of this UNESCO World Heritage City. It's an extraordinary bring home blessing in the wake of sharing in a Vigan City Fiesta. The Festival, which will be held until Jan. 27, corresponds with the commemoration festivity of Vigan's cityhood and its yearly celebration out of appreciation for St. Paul. In late January, the Vigan celebrates City Fiesta and Longganisa Festival is included in the festive program. It's normally celebrated around January 22nd to January 25th—the dates vary from year to year. During the festival, every tourist has a chance to try authentic longganisa from Vigan. Usually, local people eat salami for breakfast but the food itself is too good to be eaten during the morning hours only.

Vigan’s main church, the Metropolitan Cathedral is dedicated to St. Paul and it stands at the core of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. The major Catholic educational institution in Vigan that stands beside the church is also dedicated to the patron, the St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur. The Vigan City Fiesta usually lasts for several days. It includes within the period the celebration of the anniversary of the cityhood of Vigan, which is commemorated every January 27. Biguenos from all over the country and even abroad return to Vigan, as it is the custom of Filipinos to return to their hometown to join their family and friends in the celebration of their fiesta. They are joined by thousands of visitors from other parts of the Philippines and other countries in enjoying the cultural shows, parades and street dancing prepared by the local government with the help of the local industries and communities. There are also food fairs, arts and crafts exhibits, as well as a visiting carnival.

Participants from the different neighboring provinces in the northern region are also sent to compete in the various games and activities, particularly the street dancing competition. This participation by other municipalities makes the Vigan City Fiesta not only a local event participated in by Vigan’s officials, but a national event participated in by other local public heads and national officials. Within the Vigan City Fiesta days, the Longganisa Festival is also celebrated. The city has longganisa-themed parade and at one time attempted to set a record for having the longest longganisa ever made. The festival has become a crowd-drawer as Vigan longganisa, a native version of Mexican salami, has a distinct garlicky taste that has become a favorite of the Filipino palate. Though other manufacturers have tried to copy the Vigan longganisa taste, they have not been successful. Biguenos attribute this to the fact that the making of Vigan longganisa is a centuries-old tradition of the local makers and all if not most of the ingredients used in making the native sausage is sourced from Vigan. Vigan’s garlic and sugarcane vinegar are said to be more strongly flavorful. It’s a great take-home gift after partaking in a Vigan City Fiesta.

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Change It Starts With Me

Change happens whether we like it or not and regardless of whether we do anything about it. Tomorrow will be different than today. We can resist, but that is a bit like standing in a river and trying to hold back the water – useless. We have a choice to watch change passively happening around us, or to participate and lead it. Blessed with intellect and a set of skills, we, the human race, have been placed on Earth for a purpose, and it is our duty in life to discover exactly what that purpose is. As stated in the Bible, “to whom much is given, much is expected.” I believe giving back to society is, quite simply, a responsibility.

Most people who say they don’t like change mean they don’t like when it happens to them, but they don’t mind if they are the ones initiating the change.  We’d rather be the changer than the change-ee.  We see ourselves as flexible, adaptable, improvable, or alternately “what you see is what you get” – stuck with the cards we’ve been dealt. Those with a growth mindset see difficult problems as challenges to be solved, embracing them with enthusiasm and determination. Those with a fixed mindset see difficult problems as a pain in the butt and tend to give up before they start.  Those with a growth mindset welcome change while those with a fixed mindset resist it.

Changes are taking place on all levels, from simple to complex; whether the minuscule transformations of our brain cells to the political crises unfolding around the world. Some changes we can manage, some we can influence, but realistically, most are outside our control. Statistically few of us will change the history of the world in a momentous way. Individually we cannot eradicate war, poverty, greed and corruption. I won’t invent a cure for cancer or solve the opiate crisis. But I can change myself. And in changing myself I may have a greater, more positive impact on my world – the one in which I actually live.

We can lead change and make our world a better place if we start with ourselves. Learning to become a better spouse, parent, businessperson, leader, salesperson, philanthropist, coach and volunteer will enable me to contribute more to my family, my community, and my industry. By inviting positive change into my life, by initiating change, I might be able to positively influence others.

But that’s a choice they have to make.

New Year! New Me!

            It’s the new year. Time to turn the page and start fresh. Never mind that half the people who make new year’s resolutions abandon them within six months. Make this the year you reach your goals by looking at RESOLUTIONS in a new way.

         Reflect on the changes you will need to make to reach the goals you have for this NEW YEAR. It is true that “if nothing changes, nothing changes.” So, as you turn the page on this calendar year, set your mind on one or two lifestyle habits that you may want to approach differently for the next 365 days.

Let go of “all or nothing” thinking. I only set myself up for failure if I vow to “never eat sugar” or “always exercise an hour a day.” Set goals to be achievable, not impossible. Take time. Life happens. Not every day of every week will go as perfectly as you plan. Changing habits takes time and patience. Aristotle said: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”

“Never, never, never give up,” said British statesman Winston Churchill. Each day is a new opportunity to practice what and how we want to be. With practice, we can learn to respond in new and better ways to the challenges of life.

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