By Alec Go
The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples in the Cordillera Administrative Region (NCIP – CAR) expressed dismay over the way Cordilleran attire “bahag” or G-string was worn in the swimwear competition of the Man of the World 2022 pageant.
In a statement released June 13, the NCIP-CAR said it “did not allow nor tolerate the way” the G-string was worn which rests “solely with the organizers and their supposed cultural consultant.”
“[Before] any punitive actions, let us accord the organizers and their cultural consultant/expert an opportunity to fully explain their piece,” it stated.
“Thus, we are respectfully calling them to provide us a concrete, and anthropological proof that would support their claim that our ancestors when going underwater had worn their ‘bahag’ and that the same were worn the way they were worn during the competition/pageant,” it added.
The statement was issued in response to organizers’ claims that the way the attire was worn during the pageant is “exactly” how ancestors tie it “when they need to go under water during olden times.
One of the organizers’ comments said they had clearance from concerned individuals and a consultation with the director of the NCIP.
However, NCIP-CAR said no consultation was made with its director, aside from a letter it received on June 3 from the chairperson of the fourth Man of the World stating that the “bahag” will be featured in the pageant and that “they have an expert” to ensure the attire’s proper use.
“In response, this office did not interpose any objection on it for as long as the same is worn properly by the contestants. The said prestigious event could have been an avenue to showcase the traditional attire (bahag) of the Cordilleras [on] a world stage,” it said.
“While we commend the noble intention of the organizers to showcase the rich culture of the Cordilleras through the wearing of these ‘bahag’, we cannot however undermine the Indigenous Peoples when they cry foul on matters affecting their culture,” it stressed.
For Dr. Leonardo Samonte, director of Center for Culture and Arts of Benguet State University, cultural innovation is welcome in the field of theater, films, and pageantry, so long as the traditional and cultural presentation is not altered.
“Ang tawag namin diyan parang ‘misappropriation.’ Iba ‘yung paggamit nila to their own end na hindi nila ikino-consider ‘yung pinanggalingan ng attire na iyon,” he said in an interview with PTV Cordillera.
“To be considered an art, it’s always rooted – dapat sana rooted sa original – a little deviation, pero hindi naman totally na parang ‘binaboy’ sabi nga ng mga nagko-comment doon [na] parang binaboy ang ating kultura,” he continued. – With reports from Breves Bulsao (PTV Cordillera) – gb
