Being the less explored area in Luzon during the 300 plus Spanish occupation, the landlocked mountainous region of Cordillera has preserved its unique mountain culture intact, free from all foreign influences, thus one of our country’s cultural hotspots today.
Now, the region is subdivided into 6 provinces: Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province, Abra, with Baguio City as its regional center; and each province has a dominant ethnic group: for Abra it’s the Tingguians; for Apayao – Isneg; Benguet – Ibaloi; Ifugao – Ifugao; Kalinga – Kalinga; Mt. Province – Bontoc and Kankanaey.
Let’s talk about Kalinga Culture. The name “Kalinga” is believed to have been derived from the Ibanag word “kalinga” and the Gaddang word “kalinga”, both meaning headhunters. The Spaniards picked up the term because of their headhunting tradition, and the Americans followed suit.
The Kalingas have numerous songs, such as the salidummay, the dong-dong-ay, the oggayam, the ading, the wasani, the paliwat, the owawi, and the dandanag.
But its enduring and distinct rite is the “Bodong” that has become an institution for peace up to this day.
Kalinga is classified according to bodong-holding groups or ili, or sub-tribes, namely Tinglayan, Lubuagan, Tanudan, Pasil, Balbalan, Pinukpuk, and Tabuk City.
Kalinga is both a tribal community and a landlocked province in the heart of the Cordillera region in northern Luzon, the Philippines. Until recently Kalinga people could be identified from a distance by their distinctive body art. Immersed in the magnificent mountains, Kalinga people lived modest but passionate lives in a world where your skin communicated your social status to the local community.
The sound of gongs reverberate in Tabuk City to celebrate the 24th Kalinga Founding Anniversary and third Bodong Festival, February 14, 2019.
Cultural presentation participated by the towns of Balbalan, Lubuagan, Pasil, Pinukpuk, Rizal, Tanudan, Tinglayan and Tabuk City highlited this year’s Bodong Festival.
Aside from cultural dances and streetdancing competitions, the search for Miss Kalinga is conducted wherein aspiring candidates show off their best in aiming the title.
Kalinga weaving is passed on from oral tradition. The fabric patterns, colors and motifs depict both living and non-living things, man-made objects, the environment, and the weaver’s imaginative mind. It also signifies socio-economic status and many were reserved for special functions such as birth, marriage, festivities and death rituals.
The spirit that binds Kalinga together is the “LAGA”, in english means “weave” for the very simple reason that this is the whole expression of their way of life as a mountain people. The art of weaving is deeply rooted in Kalinga’s history, culture and tradition.
During Bodong Festival and different municipal festivities, different styles and designs of Kalinga weaving is being showcase during Laga Runways.
Presently, Kalinga is fast emerging as an eco-tourism discovery of the Cordilleras since its operation as a regular and separate province since February 14, 1996.
Kalinga Culture 