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PAGDAHA SANG PADUYA

PAGDAHA SANG PADUYA

CMPG

Paduya is a traditional delicacy unique to Bingawan, Iloilo, often prepared during All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, and other special occasions. It is made from glutinous rice powder, coconut milk, muscovado sugar, and water. The preparation process requires mixing, blending, and boiling, followed by wrapping the product in banana leaves. Though similar to kalamayhati, paduya stands out as a special food offering tied to ancestral veneration, house-blessing rituals, and thanksgiving after harvest. Its preparation is considered a spiritual act and an expression of Bingawan’s cultural identity, passed down informally through generations. However, the tradition faces challenges due to waning ...
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PAG-UBRA SANG BANDI

CMPG

Basket making is a traditional craft in Barangay Batuan, Balasan, Iloilo. Craftsmen use locally sourced materials like bamboo, nito, and banban from nearby mountains and the process involves preparing materials, weaving and shaping baskets for practical uses, for storage and transport. Despite its cultural significance, basket making faces challenges such as competition from cheaper mass-produced goods, limitied government support, inadequate infrastructure, and environmental threats, which affect the availability of materials. The younger generation shows less interest in learning the craft, leading to concerns about its continuity. Efforts to preserve the craft include informal education, with older practitioners teaching the techniques ...
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PAG-UBRA KA LAG-E

CMPG

“Pag-ubra ka lag-e” bamboo blind-making, is a traditional craft in Barangay Mainguit, Badiangan, Iloilo. Nonito Catedrilla is credited to have introduced this craft to his relatives when he moved to Mainguit, and has since been passed down through observation and practice. Skilled artisans weave bamboo into blinds, which finished products are used to decorate windows and as protection from sunlight. This craft is an important source of income for the community, with local resorts as their primary clients. While bamboo blind-making plays a significant cultural and economic role for the community, it faces challenges such as limited working spaces and ...
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BANAAG FESTIVAL

CMPG

The Banaag Festival is an annual celebration held in Anilao, Iloilo, celebrated during the town’s foundation day. The festivity is representative of the town’s identity through the theme of “banaag” or light, which historically served as a warning signal during Moro pirate raids. Rooted in the town’s colonial past, the use of torches has evolved into displays of lights during nighttime festivities. The festival features dance performances, illuminated costumes, and lanterns, uniting residents in a shared cultural experience. The entire community, including schools and civic groups, play an active role in passing on festival practices through informal participation and performance. ...
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SINAKOL MAKING (A STICKY RICE DELICACY)

CMPG

Sinakol is a traditional sticky rice delicacy from Alimodian, Iloilo, popular in Barangay Taban–Manguining and surrounding areas, where it has been made since before World War II. The snack is prepared using glutinous rice, coconut, muscovado and white sugar, and water. It is steamed in a bamboo-matted cauldron then formed into soft round balls, and finally wrapped in banana leaves. While the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted production and sales, Sinakol remains closely tied to cultural practices such as All Saints’ Day, Lenten seasons, and local festivals. Efforts to safeguard this practice include non-formal transmission, documentation, and promotion by local and ...
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TINUOB NGA SISI

CMPG

Tinuob nga Sisi is a traditional dish from Ajuy, Iloilo, rooted in its cultural relevance and the community’s fishing heritage. It is made by wrapping Sisi (a type of shellfish) in banana leaves, along with salt, sugar, lemongrass, and ginger, then steaming or grilling it for a few minutes. This dish has long served as an affordable nourishing meal for low-income families, especially during hard times, and it remains popular today. However, threats such as habitat destruction, climate change, over-harvesting, and the gradual loss of traditional knowledge pose risks to its survival. Local efforts such as non-formal education and the ...
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SALT MAKING

CMPG

Salt making is practiced in the coastal barangays of Sebaste and Bubog in Sibunag, Guimaras, where residents use punungan or fishponds during the dry season, January until May, to produce salt. The practice in the barangay was said to have began in 1983 when Teofisto Vilchez converted his fishpond into an asinan to provide income and employment. At present, only Sebaste remained active in salt production, sustained by 39 workers in the Sebaste-Bubog Salt-Making Association. The process of salt production involves creating clay boxes (kahons) and filling them with seawater. Once the salt has dried and crystallized, it is harvested ...
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PAGPANULO

CMPG

Pagpanulo, or night gleaning, is a traditional practice in the coastal barangays of Igcawayan and Suclaran in San Lorenzo, Guimaras, where people catch various shellfish and small fishes during low tide at night. Originally, gleaners used bamboo torches (sulo), later replaced by kerosene-fueled gauze lamps, and now flashlights or headlamps for better lighting. The tools they use include bolos, knives, and any type of a container to collect species like shrimp, crab, and various fish, which are either consumed or sold for income. This activity is best done during the habagat season when rivers overflow. The practice is passed down ...
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PAGPAMANDAY SANG BINANGON

CMPG

Pagpamanday, or blacksmithing, is a traditional craft practiced in Barangay Lanipe, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, passed down through generations. The process involves using scrap materials, typically from jeepney muelle, which are heated, shaped, and sharpened into tools like binangon, knives, and plows. Blacksmiths, or manugpamanday, use an anvil, hammer, and sanding machine to shape the material, grinding and polishing it, before quenching it in water to ensure durability. The craft is a significant source of livelihood for local families and is actively practiced by men typically aged 30-65 in the community. Knowledge of blacksmithing is transmitted informally through apprenticeships, where younger ...
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ANG PAGTALTAL SA BALAAN BUKID

CMPG

Ang Pagtaltal sa Balaan Bukid is a theatrical re-enactment of the Passion of Christ, performed every Good Friday in the barangays of Poblacion, Rizal, Hoskyn, and Balcon Melliza in Jordan, Guimaras. First performed in 1975, the play starts at 12:00 PM and concludes at 3:00 PM, dramatizing key Lenten scenes from Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, His trial, crucifixion, and the Pieta. Originally a pantomime with only a narrator, the passion play has evolved to include dialogue, costumes, and dubbing to enhance its production. The play features 130 to 150 cast members, primarily volunteers, including youth and children, with plans beginning ...
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