As I stood on the deck of
BRP Capones—a spanking new Japanese-made Parola-class patrol vessel of the
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)—where we hitched a ride going to Tawi-Tawi to cover the Agal-Agal Festival, I
quickly surveyed my surroundings. I saw the sacred mountain
of Bud Bongao lording it over a picturesque landscape and covered by the
morning mist. Yet, I was able to spot the silhouette of the town’s Mosque
and the outlines of a modest village with fishing boats and passenger ferries
that are starting to stir the day’s activities. And then it dawned on me,
I finally reached the southernmost province of the country. Tawi-Tawi, I have
arrived!
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| Agal-Agal Festival also celebrates the seaweed cultivation practice in the region |
Festive revelry in Languyan
The Philippines, as an archipelago nation, possesses a diverse set of culture that differs from one
region to another, thus it came as no surprise to discover a fascinating one
even in the Philippines’s southernmost province of Tawi-Tawi.
Agal-Agal is a local term
in the Sulu archipelago, which means seaweed. It represents the importance of
the seaweed cultivation in the flourishing seafood industry reigning in the
province of Tawi-Tawi. To most people, it became a way of life and embodied
much to their culture.
Tawi-Tawi’s culture,
adorned with intrigue and allure, was showcased through a vibrant celebration
that culminated this year’s Kamarhardikaan sin Tawi-Tawi, a celebration of the
province’s 44th founding anniversary, which coincides with the Agal-Agal
Festival. It is already amazing to
have gone here on a regular day, but to travel all this way to witness a
festival makes the experience more outstanding.
This year’s festival took
place in the town of Languyan. For tourists, the town appeared like it was just
founded recently because of newly constructed structures along unfinished dusty
roads. We later learned that Languyan was once an impoverished fishing town
until a mining company tapped into its natural deposits of nickel ore. The
mining activities brought residents employment opportunities and that
subsequently raised Languyan’s annual income, skyrocketing its classification to
a first-class municipality.
Mining activities come
with a price and at the expense of the environment. The first thing we saw when
the PCG’s BRP Capones approached the coast of Languyan is the massive
denudation of a hill fronting the sea, due to the quarrying operations. One
could only hope that the local government is addressing the situation to
mitigate the effects of mining in the eco-balance of the region.
Agal-Agal Festival: celebration of the Sama people
Just when I was starting
to conclude that most of the Philippine festivals are starting to look and feel
the same, the Agal-Agal Festival left me a different vibe.
Showcasing the rich Muslim
culture of the Sama people, as well as traditional influences from the Tausugs,
Badjao and Jama Mapun, a stunning display showed flamboyant native costumes,
skillful playing of upbeat native music and graceful dance performances. I was
particularly impressed by the ensemble of unique dance choreographies. The Sama
style of dancing involves expressive fingers and pointed long fingernails with
sinewy arm movements, the highlight of the performances from the nine municipal
contingents of the province.
On the eve of Agal-Agal festival’s street parade, a show was held at the town’s gymnasium, where
performers from the other municipalities of Tawi-Tawi showcased various
cultural performances after which both local residents and visitors feasted on
a sumptuous set of local cuisines.
Aside from the flamboyant
costumes patterned from traditional designs and made from local materials, such
as rattan, dried seaweeds, seashells and even starfishes used as earrings, the
performers also showed local dances, such as the igal ma lan and pangalay to
the beat of the kulintang musical instruments. The gist of the street-dance
competition depicted the Sama people’s way of living and beliefs by dramatizing
the seaweed farming and courtships, as well as staving off pagsuran, a term for
demonic or spiritual possession believed to be caused by a sting of a tawti
(catfish), by performing the traditional tawti dance.
This year nine out of eleven municipalities of Tawi-Tawi participated in the street-dancing competition of Agal-Agal festival which paraded around the town and concluded at the gym of Languyan. The municipalities of Simunul, Sapa-Sapa and Bongao bagged the top 3 spot and went home with a cool P1-million cash prize.
A cure for my unfounded notion
While admittedly, prior to
my trip to Tawi-Tawi, I have preconceived notion of a province marred in
conflict and of a volatile situation. Experiencing the Agal-Agal Festival not
only gave me with a new perspective about the rich culture reigning in this
province, I also witnessed the warmth of the people of Tawi-Tawi, saw many
stunning islands and beaches, and felt an overall sense of well-being that is
anything but troubled. After an almost weeklong trip, I went home with a fresh
and factual concept of Tawi-Tawi, where fear will only deny you another
off-the-beaten-track worthy of discovery.
