MANILA – The television program "Dayaw" being hosted by Senate Pro Tempore Loren Legarda and co-produced by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will discuss the wealth of epics, a series of long narrative verses that are sung and chanted and are social practices that are intricately woven into the everyday life of Filipino indigenous peoples.
Legarda announced that the first episode that premiered on Thursday over ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) and ANC Facebook page, will have replays on Saturdays at 11 a.m.; Sundays at 6:30 a.m.; Mondays at 2:30 a.m.; Tuesdays at 1 a.m.; Wednesdays at 3:30 a.m.; and Thursdays at 4:30 a.m.
“By focusing on the epics, we can illustrate the vibrant lifeworld of our indigenous communities from different parts of the archipelago. We will be able to see how oral literature is an embodiment of the values and virtues that shape the indigenous knowledge systems and practices,” she said in a news release.
The lawmaker urged that these episodes be harnessed as resource materials for basic education, specifically for junior and senior high school students.
Museum visitors, Legarda said, may also also watch so they can have a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the ways of life of Filipino ancestors.
For the 13th season, “Dayaw” will tackle the Hudhud of the Ifugao, the Ulahingan of the Erumanen ne Menuvu, the Hinilawod of the Panay Bukidnon, the Guinamanan of the Subanen, and the Tudbulol of the Tboli.
“The discussion of these particular epics shall make us realize that even before the archipelago was colonized, our ancestors were remarkable storytellers,” Legarda said.
“Until today, they still rely on these narratives to guide their communities in times of crisis, to celebrate their victories as a people, and to teach the younger generation about pakikipagkapwa (camaraderie), about putting the welfare of the community above anything else,” she added.
Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, has been pushing for the creation of a Department of Culture which would institutionalize programs and activities that promote cultural heritage and national identity. (PNA)
