A taste of the Cordilleras at PH Consulate in Toronto

A taste of the Cordilleras at PH Consulate in Toronto

Consul General Orontes V. Castro (middle) with the new officers with their Certificates of Oath. The Bendian Dance of Benguet performed by the Officers and Members of BIBAK Toronto during the Induction and Oath Taking of the New Set of Officers at the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto on 30 October 2021.

TORONTO–The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and the general public were treated to a taste of the Cordillera Region in the Philippines when the officers and members of The Filipino Igorots of BIBAK Association in Metro Toronto (BIBAK Toronto) visited the consular office on Oct. 30 for the Induction of the new set of officers of the organization. Since the Consulate General was open to the public this Saturday, the clients also witnessed the event and shared in the joy of hearing and seeing their music and dance.

Consul General Orontes V. Castro delivered his Message to the audience and officiated the Oath-taking of the new officers led by Mr. Johnson Aben, President of BIBAK Toronto, which followed thereafter. To cap the short program, BIBAK Toronto members rendered a native dance, the Bendian Dance of Benguet. It is a circle dance that is known to celebrate victory, the arrival of successful tribal warriors, and is part of every Benguet festivity.

BIBAK stands for the subgroups of the Cordillera region namely, Benguet, Ifugao, Bontoc, Apayao, and Kalinga). The people from the Cordillera Central mountains in Northern Luzon who have left their mountain homes to seek better opportunities elsewhere organized BIBAK to keep their traditions and culture alive. It is comprised of several indigenous cultural groups whose ancestors created the world famous Ifugao Rice Terraces that was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995.

(PRESS RELEASE)

Consul General Orontes V. Castro (top right) and President Johnson Aben (top left) during the Induction and Oath-taking of the New Set of Officers of BIBAK Toronto at the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto on 30 October 2021.