Calinog Archives - Cultural Mapping of Panay and Guimaras

February 18, 2026

CMPG

The Enhanced School of Living Tradition (ESLT) in Calinog, Iloilo, was established in 2016 to preserve and teach the cultural heritage of the Panay Bukidnon through training in traditional dance, crafts, and livelihood skills. The training center, made from nipa and bamboo, faced damage during the pandemic but was repaired with local government funding, improving its facilities for students. ESLT currently serves 75 students who learn Binanog dance, embroidery, and craft-making, with classes held on weekends to fit their schedules. The program collaborates with government agencies like TESDA and BPI to develop products and integrate cultural training into formal education. ...

Significant Personalities

FEDERICO C. CABALLERO

Calinog, Iloilo

February 18, 2026

CMPG

Federico C. Caballero, born in Calinog, Iloilo in 1938, was a renowned epic chanter and cultural advocate of the Panay-Bukidnon community. He learned ancient oral traditions from his mother and great-great-grandmother and dedicated his life to preserving ten Panay-Bukidnon epics, including Humadapnon and Labaw Donggon, in a nearly extinct language related to Kinaray-a. Caballero worked with researchers and government agencies to document and teach these epics, even promoting literacy among elders to help sustain their heritage. As a manunghusay (peacemaker), he helped resolve community disputes using ancestral wisdom and chanting, reinforcing cultural values and social harmony. In 2000, he was ...

Artwork, Tangible Movable Heritage

SOUVENIR PAINTING TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CALINOG FROM VIETNAMESE DELEGATION IN 1953

Calinog, Iloilo

February 18, 2026

CMPG

The souvenir painting in Calinog Elementary School depicts a traditional riverside village scene from South Vietnam, featuring nipa houses, boats, and people engaged in daily activities. The painting, gifted as a token by a group of visiting South Vietnamese educators, was painted using lacquer on wood. Lacquer painting, sơn mài in Vietnamese, is a technique known for its durable, glossy finish. The painting symbolizes the cultural exchange between Vietnam and the school community, a strengthening of bonds between the two communities, and has become an integral part of the school’s history. Despite physical issues like fading and a tear, the ...

Intangible Cultural Heritage, Oral Traditions and Expressions, including Language

SUGUIDANON (EPIC CHANTING)

Calinog, Garangan, Iloilo

February 18, 2026

CMPG

Suguidanon is a centuries-old oral tradition of epic chanting performed by the Panay Bukidnon communities in upland Central Panay. This features ten epics that reflect their spiritual worldview, customs, and identity. Traditionally performed by manugsuguidanon such as binukot (secluded maidens) and babaylan (shamans), it serves as both entertainment and a medium for transmitting cultural knowledge during social and spiritual gatherings. The chanting is complex, using Old Kinaray-a and requiring great memorization and vocal skill, often taking days to complete and performed during rituals, harvests, or as lullabies. Despite the decline in the number of chanters due to social changes and ...

Bodies of Water, Natural Heritage

JALAUR RIVER

Agcalaga, Calinog, Iloilo

February 18, 2026

CMPG

The Jalaur River in Calinog, Iloilo, is the second-longest river in Panay Island and the 17th largest river system in the Philippines. It stretches 123 kilometers from Mt. Baloy to the Guimaras Strait and supporting a 1,503 sq. km basin. It plays a vital role in the region’s agriculture, supplying irrigation to farms and water for domestic use, and is a key component of the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Stage II for providing hydroelectric energy. Culturally, it is sacred to the indigenous communities in the area, with several spiritual and historical sites located along its banks, featured in epics like ...

ENHANCED SCHOOL OF LIVING TRADITION

Cultural Mapping Of Panay and Guimaras

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