The title is the theme of the Ibagiw Creative Festival 2022 which I discovered during my Sunday walk along Session Road in Baguio City.
In my previous posts I mentioned that Session Road is being closed to vehicular traffic every Sunday. They turn it into a pedestrian mall. I am back again to explore what's up this thirteenth of November.
Looking up from Session Road foot on its corner with Shanum Street, I was amused to see a loose street. This used to be crowded with many stalls of different products on display and spectators roaming about during Sundays. This time, one may be able to do roller skating.
The first stall that I came up to has displays of sticks! I mean wires. Wires that were twisted into arts. Figurines of Igorot warriors, trees and an eagle. I specifically like the eagle one.
Next were the handbags that were either made of ethnic fabric or accentuated with it. Most of the bags look like a doctor's bag. I just wished they have more designs.
The next stall has trinkets spread out. One thing on the table got me so interested - a sexy hand figurine with many trinkets, rings and bracelets. It looked so elegant!
Somewhere in the middle going up, I crossed the road and came to the crossing with Assumption Road. The entrance of the road has this arc announcing a festival - the Ibagiw Creative Festival 2022.
I got inside the arc and came to an array of stalls with local delicacies. I was so surprised to see products that I did not expect were locally produced. For one, the chocolate bars looked so classy. Dulche Chocolates.
I could not help checking at least one of the chocolate bars. I flipped it over to check more details of the product at the back of the bar. I confirmed that it is a local delicacy. It has also a claim that it is the first chocolate of Benguet province. I never heard of the brand but I never knew either that Benguet has its own. I felt proud.
The next stall has inviting long neck bottles. I got closer and saw wine of different flavors. Like the chocolates, the bottles of wine looked so classy. Elegant enough to compete globally.
I checked closer and again confirmed that the wines are locally made, from the Mt. Province this time. Gabay brand. Well, wines are common in Benguet province and in the Cordillera region. Just not as many flavors as these. The very common wine I know is rice wine, then strawberry wine. One of the flavors was labeled Bugnay which I wonder if buyers would understand if they are not from the Cordillera. Bugnay is fruit of salamander tree and is commonly called Philippine wild cherries.
I checked the other stalls and turned back to Session Road. I continued going up the road and came across the famous giant mandalas. These are the consistent displays that I see during Sundays. All the rest seem new.
To the side of the mandala stall are small webs that looked like dream catchers, just without the feather tails. I find them cute in different colors.
That side of tbe road is also loose, not much crowd and no stalls. I crossed to the other side and was somehow relieved to see the alfresco dining. At least this one is creating traffic jam even for a while.
Past the street dining was where I came to a crowd gathering. I tiptoed and looked across the crowd to find the reason of the crowd. My eyes caught that red costume on the right. It's Darna! Darna is the Philippine heroine like Wonder Woman.
I squeezed into the crowd and got in front with clear view of Darna. She is the same lady that I see all Sundays that I came here. People were taking turns to have photos with her, almost no interval. I wanted to have her solo photo so I called out for her to look at my camera. Every time she did, someone or a group was already beside her and she looked to the camera for that person with her. This lady wearing the costume is certainly on fire today. It wasn't like this before. I got contented with shots of her looking at other cameras.
That time I was at the upper side paet of the road. I crossed again and started going back down. A few people started their drawing on the ground. "This time?" I thought. It was pass eleven in the morning. By this time on previous Sundays, the road is very crowded and significant part of the road is already full of drawings. I wonder what's with today that there are not much going on.
Moving forward down the road, I came upon stalls with more of local products. Tnere was a table with bags made of ethnic woven cloth. Beside them are what caught more of my attention, the pasiking.
Pasiking is an ethnic backpack made of either bamboo or rattan. I used to have one during college days. I saw only few of us using pasiking in the university. I felt cool being unique.
The next stalls have more local products of ethnic clothes and wooden arts.
I don't know what that wooden cup was doing beside the belen. I was shy to move it away before taking the photo so I just went ahead.
I was looking at the wood crafts when I heard one of the prospective buyers commenting.
"What's this? For beating?", he buyer asked and tried to answer her question.
The seller laughed and answered, "arnis ma'am."
I turned to look at what they were talking about. The buyer was holding one wooden stick from a basket of many.
Arnis is a wooden stick which is used in pair as weapon.
The buyer laughed and put the stick back into the basket.
I watched a duo played their music for a while then went on to a cafe for ice cream as lunch. The cafe was empty and one of the crew was commenting so. I asked id they have any idea why there ain't much traffic that day. They have no answer. Yeah, I hope to see a merrier Session Road next time...
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those wire sculptures reminds me of my art project before, although it wasn’t good as the one in the pictures hahahaha
and i love the chocolate delicacy! If i were there I’d buy the dark chocolate and the tablea one cause i like bitter chocolates, how much does it costs? i bet it’s expensive because it seems so fancy looking, even the wine too..
and my favorite of all is the art, wish our place allows us to do arts in the road, oh and the mandala too, how can they weave something so big and round ! it’s so amazing again ! i feel like it’s expensive hahaha
I love going to festivals because i get to see local products! thank you for sharing this blog po, i love the place
I can only imagine wire projects but I don't think I can make any. I can be patient with the diamond painting because it is easy to paste the beads. But with twists and turns of the wire art? Good luck to me! 😄😄😄
Milk chocolate will be better for me...
Festivals are always amusing and interesting to discover something new. Until now I am still guessing what Ibagiw means. 😄
Thanks too for dropping by my post... 💖
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