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  • Message of the PTCAO

    Message of the PTCAO

    Imagine a tourism festival without sounds and music. Would it have a celebratory feel? Visualize a theatre play or a movie without a musical score? Would it be as striking and enticing as the one integrated with music? What if our culture bears no music nor any song at all? Would it be complete? Life would be mundane without songs or music. Local songs and music make up also our cultural identity.

    Culture plays an important role in tourism because any tourism activity will always be founded and grounded in culture. Tourism supports and promotes culture, and culture helps sustain tourism.
    Like with any tourism product, there will be questions of sustainability for our cultural resources. How can we sustain them, moreover, preserve or safeguard them and keep them from vanishing in our life? Can our traditional and folk songs survive, much so compete with the modern and popular songs of this age?

    Keeping our cultural heritage alive is not a question of competition but a matter of valuing. What should we value and how do we value them? Valuing is not commercializing per se. In the case of music, it should not be primarily commercialized, rather it should be prioritized to enrich how we live.

    Music is not just a hobby or past time. For some people, music is their living. Like the musicians playing in operas, concerts or music lounges, or the traditional musikeros in the barrios who play during fiestas, music is their way to earn a living. For culture bearers like them, music is their soul and their way of life, thereby it must be safeguarded.

    Pangasinan traditional songs and music is no different from the other songs from around the world. Like pop or ballad songs or the Indian raga music, Pangasinan music and traditional songs are also forms of expression. Thus, it is considered an international language, much like the Pangasinan folk music “Malinac Lay Labi” that is now popular among choral singers in the various regions around the world.

    But the challenge still remains on how much we have preserved about our traditional music and folk songs? This challenge has prompted us to conduct this Music Geography Project to research and document our traditional and folk songs in Pangasinan because we know that there are many, but only a few are known due to lack of literature or researches about them. Once we have the music, we can teach them especially to our young generation. Learning music is not difficult when we put our heart and soul into it. Our traditional songs and music should be taught to the younger ones because this is our sound, this is our identity.

    In the fast-paced world that we live in today, we should always keep in check our culture. We should not forget the traditions we have, but enrich them and pass them on to our children to ensure that our cultural identity remain in perpetuity. It is our moral and spiritual responsibility to preserve and safeguard our heritage…our tawir.

    Maria Luisa Amor-Elduayan
    Department Head, PTCAO

  • Message of the Governor

    Message of the Governor

    Greetings!

    Music has been an integral part of human culture for centuries, and traditional songs have been passed down through generations, carrying with them the rich heritage and history of a community or a region. However, in our fast-paced modern world, where cultural traditions are often threatened by globalization and changing lifestyles, it has become more crucial than ever to document and preserve these traditional songs or music.

    First and foremost, documenting traditional songs or music helps to ensure their preservation for future generations. These songs are often the expressions of a community’s unique identity, reflecting their beliefs, values, and way of life. They are an invaluable cultural heritage that deserves to be protected and passed on to future generations. By documenting traditional songs or music, we can ensure that they are preserved for posterity, so that our children and grandchildren can appreciate and learn from them.

    Documenting traditional songs or music also helps to foster cultural diversity. Our world is made up of diverse cultures and traditions, each with its own unique musical heritage. Traditional songs or music are an important part of this diversity, representing the artistic and creative expressions of different communities. By documenting traditional songs or music, we are able to promote and celebrate cultural diversity, as well as foster mutual understanding and respect among different cultures. It helps us appreciate the richness and beauty of the world’s cultural tapestry.

    Furthermore, documenting traditional songs or music provides a window into the past. These songs often have historical significance, reflecting the experiences, struggles, and triumphs of past generations. They offer insights into the social, political, and cultural contexts of a particular time and place. By documenting traditional songs or music, we can gain a deeper understanding of our own history and heritage, as well as the history of others. It allows us to connect with our roots and learn from the wisdom of our ancestors.

    Ultimately, documenting traditional songs or music is an act of respect and gratitude towards the communities that have nurtured and preserved these songs for generations. It acknowledges the contributions and the cultural significance of these communities and their traditional musical heritage. It also promotes cultural pride and self-esteem among community members, as they see their traditions being valued and preserved.

    With that, on behalf of the Provincial Government of Pangasinan, allow me to express my most profound gratitude to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for the generous grant and technical assistance which allowed the provincial government to document some of the most significant traditional songs and music in our province through the Pangasinan Music Geography Project. I would also like to thank the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) for leading the implementation of this valuable project. I also thank the mappers and project team who have worked tirelessly in order for this project to come into fruition. Lastly, my sincerest gratitude goes to all thecommunity members and culture bearers who have willingly and passionately shared their indigenous and traditional knowledge on Pangasinan songs and music.

    This book is our gift not only to the people of Pangasinan, but more so, to the nation. It serves as a testament to our continued commitment to and recognition for the important role of culture and arts in achieving holistic local development.

    May we continuously make concerted efforts to document, safeguard, and enrich our traditional songs or music that are a vital part of our cultural legacy.

    Thank you.

    Hon. Ramon V. Guico III, DPM

  • Message of the Secretary – NCM

    Message of Mr. Jose Soliman, Jr.

    Felicitations to the People of Pangasinan on this worthy project led by the Provincial Government of Pangasinan under the leadership of Governor Ramon V. Guico III, along with the Provincial Tourism Office headed by Ms. Maria-Luisa Amor-Elduayan.

    The Music Geography Project of the National Committee on Music of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts was conceived as a project to document the existing yet waning music resources of communities in the Philippines. This committee-initiated project hopes to use this documentation as a fitting sourcebook of Pangasinan folksongs and traditional music.

    Music as an expression connects the past to the present. It is a bridge that unites generations and a transmitter in the most creative and expressive way.

    As a universal language it knows no bounds that even if a document is written in Pangasinan language for the melodies and the mood convey a particular message to anyone who hears this.

    The music documented is filled with values about community-life, unity within the family, ecology and much more. I am amazed by the creativity of what your ancestors have created and it is but worthy that these should be safeguarded and passed on the next generation.

    I hope that schools, communities, performers and artists keep these traditions alive. Think of these as new-found treasures that should be cherished for generations to come.

    I also challenge more researchers and music aficionados to likewise follow this endeavor and with the programs on heritage by the Province, we have added another worthy collection to Pangasinan’s patrimony.

    Mabuhay kayong lahat! Mabuhay and Musikang Filipino!

    Jose Soliman, Jr.
    Secretary, National Committee of Music, NCCA

  • Message of the Chairman – NCM

    Message of the Chairman,
    National Committee on Music

    Isang maalab na pagbati mula sa Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining at mula sa Pambansang Komite para sa Musika.

    Ako po ay lubos na nagagalak sapagkat mayroon na naman tayong ipagmamalaki na proyekto. Ito ay walang iba kundi ang Music Geography na nagawa mismo dito sa Pangasinan. Kaya nga naman natutuwa ako sapagkat mahirap ding manaliksik ng mga tinatawag nating kalipunan o sa Ingles ay resources pagdating sa musika.

    Kaya taos-puso po ang aking pagbati sa Pamahalaan Panlalawigan ng Pangasinan na pinamumunuan ng walang iba kundi si Gobernador Ramon V. Guico III, gayon din po sa bumubuo ng Provincial Tourism Culture Affairs Office sa pamumuno po ni Ms. Malu Amor-Elduayan. Talaga namang saludo kami sa inyo at sa mga nanaliksik. Mahirap pumunta sa bawat pamayanan at bayan upang hanapin ang mga nawawala nang mga awitin. Kaya naman dapat ipagpatuloy natin itong mga proyektong ito. Kaya naman kami sa NCCA, kami po ay naiinspira at patuloy ang aming pagsuporta sa mga ganitong adhikain at layunin.

    Minsan, nagtatanong tayo, ano ba ang musika ng Pangasinan? At madalas ang sagot nila ay Malinac lay Labi. Pero ito lang ba ang musikang maipagmamalaki? Alam kongmarami pa. Kaya nga itong proyekto na tinatawag nating Music Geography, nakita namin na ang dami pa palang mga matatawag nating pamanang lahi pagdating sa musika ng Pangasinan.

    Ang Pangasinan ay kinikilala namin bilang isa sa mga bukal o sources ng kultura dito sa Pilipinas. Kaya naman sa mga ginagawang mga proyekto tulad nito, kasama na ang pamayanan ang mga nananaliksik, ito po ay dapat lamang ipagpatuloy sapagkat sino ang mabibiyayaan dito sa proyektong ito? Marami po. Unang-una, itong libro na kung saan naitala ang iba’t-ibang musika na maaaring hindi pa ito naririnig ngayon sa kasalukuyang henerasyon. Maaaring magamit ito ng mga paaralan sa kanilang pagtuturo sa MAPEH, gayun din po sa mga pamayanan at kapag mayroong mga pagdiriwang dito sa Pangasinan at maging sa buong Pilipinas.

    Alam naming madadagdagan na naman ang kaalaman na ito na magiging bahagi na naman ng museo at hindi lang museo dahil ito’y isang living cultural heritage. Ito’y patuloy na mananaig sa bawat puso at sa bawat kaluluwa ng mga taga-Pangasinan atng buong Pilipinas.

    Mabuhay po kayong lahat.

    Arvin Manuel R, Villalon
    Chairman, National Committee of Music, NCCA

  • Message of the Chairman

    Message of the Chairman

    Creativity is innate in every Filipino. Our land inspires one’s imagination. Pangasinan has a wide range of folk songs and traditional songs. These folk and traditional songs speak of the life of the people. They tell us about the Pangasinan experience.

    It is of prime importance that we keep these traditional songs alive by educating future generations regarding the beauty of Pangasinan’s musical heritage. We should continue to consider Pangasinan’s songs as part of our country’s heritage.

    As the prime government agency dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Philippine arts and culture, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts highly commends the Pangasinan provincial government for this remarkable undertaking that nurtures the richness of our Filipino culture through the preservation of your province’s folk and traditional songs.

    The Commission hopes to continue to support you in your future endeavors as you foster Filipino creative excellence.

    Mabuhay ang pamanang Filipino!

    Victorino Mapa Manalo
    Chairman, National Committee of Music, CESE

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