Anniniwan iti Kannawidan

Out of the thirty-two municipalities and two component cities that are home to different local ethnicities and groups that comprise our whole province, what do you think makes them connected to each other? What makes our province still One Ilocos Sur?

In case you missed it, 205 years ago, a real cedula from the Kingdom of Spain was released on February 2, 1818, separating Ilocos into two provinces, namely Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, as per the request of Manuel Bernaldez Pizarro, a fiscal of the Real Audiencia. It was imperative to divide the province into two after three successive revolts, namely the Basi Revolt (1807), the Ilocos Norte Uprising (1811), and the Sarrat Rebellion (1815), that caused restiveness in the area. According to Pizarro, having a divided Ilocos—an llocos Norte and Ilocos Sur - would enable authorities to closely supervise the natives, whose numbers had increased, and thereby effectively quell any uprising. Fast forward to 2008, during the administration of former Governor Deogracias Victor "DV" B. Savellano as the father of the heritage province of Ilocos Sur, he initiated the first-ever "Kannawidan Ylocos Festival" to promote the cultural value of the heritage our ancestors had handed us over, earning his moniker "Ama ti Kannawidan." The activities and events included in the festival were in keeping with our province's culture and heritage, and the first year was a success as thousands of locals and visitors came to Ilocos Sur to participate in and join the aforementioned festivity. Nowadays, it is annually celebrated from the last week of January and usually lasts until the second or third week of February, still anchored by its theme, Ilocos Sur's culture and history.

As you may all know, Ilocos Sur is adorned with such exquisite culture, heritage, and history that it makes us unarguably unique and different among others. Through this festival, we are able to enrich our knowledge and understanding regarding the different cultures and traditions still being practiced in the province, especially in the upland municipalities. It is with pride that we showcase these to the whole world annually, proving to everyone that Ilocos Sur is more than just a province; it is a home strengthened by our rich culture, heritage, and history. But with deep dismay and regret, these ancestral gifts are slowly drifting away with time. Our culture and traditions, such as the production of local fabric abel iloco, local sugarcane wine basi, local earthenware jar burnay, local hat made from a local vegetable called tabungaw kattukong, and local rice cake delicacies concocted in the towns of Vigan and Caoayan called salapusop, are slowly dying, and this is indeed alarming. This modernized world we have right now is one to point fingers at, but what can we do? We cannot simply travel back to the past, wanting to correct the mistakes we have committed, and the only thing left for us to do is make the right decision. It is time that we do something about these manifestations of our rich culture so that they do not vanish away. We, the generation of today, must exert much effort to maintain and preserve these cultural treasures, not disregard and abandon them, for us to be able to pass them on to the next generation of Ilocos Surians.

 

Now, to answer the question that was asked of you a while ago, what do you think makes them connected to each other? What makes our province still One Ilocos Sur? The simple answer would be our rich culture, heritage, and history. Through these, we have created a foundation that gives the columns of success and progress in our province strength and durability to face the tests and uncertainties of time in the future. Through our culture, we have shared and reconnected with each other, disregarding our individual differences in life. The shadows that came with the heritage passed on to us serve as our adamantine inspiration to conserve, maintain, and preserve these cultural treasures we have right now. Through the Kannawidan Ylocos Festival, we are able to unravel, discover, and understand our identity and history. We should always remember the significance of the Kannawidan Ylocos Festival and the positive shadows brought by the past, because with these in mind, we can finally achieve a more impressive and progressive future. Ilocos Surians, think willfully for a brighter tomorrow that we can surely achieve.

Tapno saan a mapukaw dagitoy nga kannawidan tayo, ubraen tay amin a kabaelan tayo tapno maitag-ay dagitoy tawid a manipud kadagiti nagkauna nga Ilokano. Intay met aprisiyaren dagiti naglabasan tayo nga nagserbi kas tulbek tayo tapno magun-od iti panagdur-as, panagrang-ay, ken panagballigi daytoy nanumo nga ili tayo. Saan kuma nga mapukaw ditoy panunot tayo dagiti bannuar nga nangilala ken nangipateg iti ili tayo, a nangipakita iti saan a pulos nga maartapan a tan-ok ken bileg iti maysa nga Ilokano. Aglaplapusanan iti namnama daytoy puso ken riknak ta adda dagitoy anniniwan iti naglabas nga kadwa dagitoy a tawid nga agtultuloy nga agserserbi a kas dalan ken rangtay tayo tapno madanon tay iti tapao ti balligi. Ngarud, silalagip tay kuma latta nga tumalyaw kadagitoy naisangsangayan a tawid ken kultura tayo; dagitoy anniniwan iti kannawidan tayo.

References:

[1] Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History (D. V. B. Savellano, Trans.). (2009). [English]. Sanicua Publication.

[2] Sur, J. M. C. Q. /. P. I. (2020, June 6). Ilocos Sur confirms new case of coronavirus. Tawid News Magazine. https://tawidnewsmag.com/ilocos-sur-confirms-new-case-of-coronavirus/

[3] PopTalk. (2014, October 3). Ano ang salapusop? Bakit kaya nagananib itong malimutan? Alamin bukas sa #PopTalkViganSpecial 8PM sa GMA News TV. Twitter. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://twitter.com/PopTalkGTV/status/517992516650430465/photo/1

[4] HD wallpaper: street, building, lights, Vigan Sunset, oldstreet sunset | Wallpaper Flare. (n.d.). https://www.wallpaperflare.com/street-building-lights-vigan-sunset-oldstreet-sunset-wallpaper-gocwn