Two of a series of documentaries on the intangible cultural heritage of Panay island premiered at the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Cinematheque, Iloilo City campus during the Maáram, Isla ng Panay launching on Feb. 22.
The first documentary screened was “Gahum,” which featured the narrative of “binanog,” a traditional courtship dance in the towns of Lambunao and Calinog, Iloilo; and the loss of their ancestral lands.
It was followed by “Mientras Dyan Ako,” which showed the holding of the “taltal,” a theatrical tradition that dramatizes the passion and death of Jesus Christ initiated by the Iglesia Filipina Independiente church in Patnongon town, Antique.
Maáram is a project of the Philippine Studies Association (PSA), in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and with the support of the Office of Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda.
According to Dr. Maria Jovita Zarate, Project Lead of Maáram, the documentaries allow those from the communities to tell their stories instead of having academicians and scholars explain them in detail.
The documentaries feature those from far-flung areas, voices that cannot be heard, issues that are not given priority due to censorship, and unsung heroes from communities, she said.
These educational videos will primarily be used for the Senior High School programs. Zarate said that through these videos, classroom discussions on these topics will be livelier.
PSA President and UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano, in his message during the launch, said Panay should take an active part to “discover our agency so that we shape this process of caring, preserving, and promoting our culture based on our interests.”
“There is a need for this new kind of dialectic between the national and the local because out of this dialectic, I think, will emerge not just a new way of thinking about culture, but in fact, a new culture; a new sense of nation,” he added.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, in her video message, said “through our Office, we promise you proactive legislative action in the areas of art, culture, and heritage promotion.”
“As a four-term senator, I hope to strengthen the position of intangible cultural heritage and national policy formulation. The opportunity to strengthen the position of cultural heritage and render it as a national capital is topmost in my legislative agenda,” Legarda said.
The third documentary “Kadlaw Ta,” which features the Philippine komedya, which derives its name from the Spanish comedia (a full-length play in verse), in Antique, premiered on PSA’s Youtube page, Philippine Studies Association, Inc., on Feb. 26.
The remaining documentaries, “Kalipay Kag Kalisud” premiered on PSA’s Youtube page last Feb. 28, while “Panaad sa Pasos” will be shown on Easter eve, April 8.
During the Maáram launching at UPV, the Department of Education (DepEd)-6, represented by their Assistant Regional Director received the project deliverables. The UPV Center for West Visayan Studies assisted the hosting of the premiere of the first two documentaries.