Celebrating Tradition: Mountain Province’s 17th Lang-ay Festival to take place April 1-10

Tabuk City, Kalinga – April will headline the eagerly anticipated 17th Lang-ay Festival in Mountain Province with the theme, “Strength in Diversity: Celebrating Inclusivity and Solidarity”, an event that not only honors age-old traditions but also serves as a platform for community unity and artistic expression.

The Lang-ay Festival stands as a hallmark summertime celebration, commemorating the province’s founding anniversary, fostering unity among tribal communities, promoting cultural enrichment, and boosting local tourism and products.

Provincial Information Officer, Bendahara Beau Macli-ing, in an interview relayed Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr.’s statement that the Lang-ay Festival showcases traditional instruments, music, clothes, and songs that capture the colorful culture of Mountain Province. It simultaneously promotes economic growth through agro-trade and tourism while safeguarding their legacy and customs.

The festival, rooted in “lang-ay” denoting fellowship, is marked by lively gatherings with traditional rice wine and culinary treats sourced from local livestock and poultry.

“Lang-ay literally means to share food and wine. We named it Lang-ay Festival because the meaning of Lang-ay denotes merrymaking and sharing what you have with others,” stated former Mountain Province representative Maximo B. Dalog Sr. in the Lang-ay Festival 2017 documentary.

The festival’s main attractions include Lang-ay on the street, the Marcsongs concert, vibrant street dancing, captivating cultural presentations, engaging indigenous games, the enchanting Gangsa Night, and dazzling pageantry, among other festivities, as revealed by Macli-ing.

The 17th Lang-ay Festival will be held in Bontoc from April 1 to 7, with an extension until April 10 for the Agro-trade fair.

To recall, Dalog Sr., then serving as governor, inaugurated the first Lang-ay Festival during the 38th founding anniversary of Mountain Province in 2005.