Create camaraderie, make new friendships, learn and keep intact the old traditions for this year’s 22nd Kalilangan, as we invite everyone to come, celebrate with us and be part of our seven days of pure, homegrown vibes teemed with the richness of our history and the vibrancy of our cultural heritage.
Kalilangan 2011 will celebrate General Santos City’s 72nd foundation anniversary (February 27) that recognizes the historical contributions of its pioneers and the rich tapestry of the cultural heritage of its Tri-people. This year, the City of General Santos, in partnership with Mindanao State University-General Santos City will manage this year’s Kalilangan.
The Kalilangan, as the carrier event of the foundation anniversary of the city in essence, is the celebration of the arrival of the first batch of settlers led by Gen. Paulino Santos and the welcome accorded by the local native residents–the Maguindanaon and B’laan–that created a harmonious relationship between them. This occasion we termed as the ‘Salubungan’-the iconic event that would herald the foundation of a place molded with sweat and labor, tempered with dedication and determination to succeed, and sweetened by the good relationship among its Tri-people.
Kalilangan , a Maguindanaon term for festival, remains a form of expression that links heritage to individuality. While giving emphasis and honor to our local history and culture, we inculcate and promote our local flavor and talents, an emphasis on the individual voices, and voices exploring and articulating personal experiences and individual stories.
The crossing of our tri-people narratives and its individual interpretations in all endeavors remains the quintessential form of imaginative invention. The collective identity is articulated by individuals from various persuasions and perspectives potentially leading to a new source of creative energy. In an effort to endorse the local talents and the individual abilities celebrates our diversity, and Gensan is full of talented resources whose creative contributions are by itself our present heritage.
This year, MSU has pooled experts from the academe, cultural workers, and the arts community including prominent artists and nationally recognized art groups to be part of this year’s Kalilangan. We believe that this individuality resorts to collective descriptions which might resonate with a shared community. Indeed the promotion of one’s heritage is certainly as the promotion of one’s individuality.
This effort of emphasizing heritage would inculcate in the individual a sense of respect for traditions, of learning where one comes from or our common ground of achieving the collective effort required for every General to imagine a shared future.
True to this is our festival theme ‘The Challenge of Change: Preserving Traditions’ our challenge to keep and preserve of what we have amidst a rapidly advancing and diversifying global landscape. Our traditions have become not only our face value but also the backbone of our ethnicity that we belong. It has become our institution and inevitably irreplaceable which are priceless in terms of its historical and cultural significance for future generations.
We believe that by appreciation and understanding of these traditions will ensure their place for posterity. Continuing to practice and celebrate them, while at the very same time, allowing, in proportionate amounts of connection with fragments of modern space and setting, will help allow these age-old beliefs and ideals stay and become relevant in today’s society.
By embracing these traditions will go well in serving the society of Gensan, as, after all, this is the hallmarks of different ethnic groups and religions that exist together. In fact, it is the celebration of these traditions that make up the first step in allowing cultures or races to understand each other better and this ultimately opens up the avenue for cooperation and peaceful coexistence.
Our mutual appreciation is critical in keeping the flame for such traditions burning bright and it is now ours; the current generation’s responsibility of ensuring that these traditions are kept for future generations to play an active role in.
By being able to ensure that future generations are connected to their roots through its meaning and significance, we should keep them close and foster them into a momentum for ethnic cohesion amidst challenging times; and more importantly, as a solace for inner searching and understanding.
Our main concept of the recognition of the Tri-People in Gensan and their very important contributions is represented by the dominant three colors of Green, Red and Yellow, the traditional colors of the kalilang or festivity that also represent the focal points of the festivity.
Green is the “Greening Gensan” and the importance of the city’s program of backyard gardens and the commitment to urban agriculture focusing on the environment in a manner that encourages economic competitiveness in sustainable urban environment. This year, the city’s agricultural produce and by-products from rural barangays will be highlighted and be given emphasis thru its Agri Fair and the Farmer’s Day Celebration.
Yellow is the vibrancy of its rich historical and cultural heritage as you will find yourself inspired by a full production of the Opening Ceremony titled ‘Kultura, Kasaysayan, Kalilangan’; recognize the value of our local history and appreciate our old-age traditions in a cultural night dubbed as ‘Talos kano sa Kamunamunan’-welcome to a night of convergence and remembrance including the re-enactment of the iconic ‘Salubungan’-the arrival of the first batchers of settlers and the welcome from the local native residents with a grand parade-‘Parada ng Lahi’ entitled Kadena de Amor. These showcases of cultural heritage will culminate in the closing program dubbed as the ‘Tagbuan sa Kalilangan: The Finale’ with more cultural presentations and fanfare.
To help inspire and ignite your festive mood is the Tadaman Cultural Showcase with the iconic Kulintangan-search for the best players in Mindanao and the selection of the preeminent dancer of ‘pangalay,’ locally termed as ‘Dayang-dayang.’ These traditional performances are complemented by competitions in the highland and lowland dances, the ‘Sayaw-Maral Pinoy.’ Contrasting these are the contemporary challenge in the Hip-Hop Lyrical dance called ‘AbunDance,’ the ‘FlipRap’, and the first ‘Human Beatbox Showdown.’
Be glad about learning centuries-old culinary traditions and exotic tastes in the ‘Traditional Food Exposition’ and reminisce decades old games in the ‘Laro ng Lahi’-Pinoy street games of tubiganay, the siyatong, katkat kawayan, kadang-kadang and more. Be amazed by the ancient royal game of ‘kadsipa sa manguis,’ and find the hilarious and audience-participated chicken chase-‘damlo anok’ a delight and entertaining.
A musical journey back to the main stage with the ‘Akostik’—an acoustic jingle competition themed ‘Ang Aking Magandang Gensan’ and the ‘Banda Layag sa Gensan: Battle of the Bands face-off.
Also as a commitment to art expressions are the ‘Kandadapada’ collaborative visual arts competition and a photo exhibition by professional photographers of Gensan.
Red is the fanfare and festive celebration. To provide a space for people of every age are our entertainment and rollicking goodtime parties of various concerts and celebrity mall tours. Kalilangan 2011 revelers will gather in the oval plaza and the celebratory mood would spill on the streets to celebrate the vibrant colors in our ‘Kadsagayan sa Kalilangan: Street Dancing Competition’ in the closing ceremony. Pulsate with us to the rhythms and beats till the wee hours in our ‘Kasadya sa Kadalanan’-street party.
The festival also is a celebration of complementing between economic activity, entertainment and tourism with our Trade Expo, Plaza Bazaar and Food Galore to whet your appetite and satisfy your bargain hunting.
We invite everyone to join and party with us and the same time value the memory of our glorious past and appreciate our local traditions and at the same time feel our current beats that shape the image of the present landscape of the city of Gensan accentuated with current space and artistic milieu.
Our Kalilangan will make individual spaces of expressions but at the same time connect to the common collectives of identities and traditions that at the end these collectives may turn out to be more coherently individual, and would remain one of the strongest values assumed in terms of creating a contemporary sense of being a General.
“Talus kanu, Flagh de gamuh. Tuloy po kayo, welcome to Kalilangan 2011!”
While there was a soft opening last February 14, the formal opening of Kalilangan 2011 and opening program will be on February 21, 2011, a Monday, and the closing ceremony will be in the afternoon of February 27, 2011 (Foundation Day).
