Image by YouLike Cordillera PH via Facebook page - Math teacher in Kalinga wears bahag in class
- The wearing of traditional outfits in class was also done by school teachers and heads in Baguio City
- Students were initially shocked seeing their teachers wearing their traditional Cordilleran outfits in class
Cultural pride!
A photo of a Kalinga teacher wearing a full Cordilleran outfit in class has been circulating online and drawing reactions.
A Kalinga attire includes a bahag [in place of trousers], armbands and a feathered headdress.
The teacher in the photo was identified as Elmer Sacwog of Pines City National High School (PCNHS) as per an ABS-CBN story. The image was captured while Sacwog was teaching Mathematics in his class; fractions in particular.
But it is not only Sacwog who’s wearing a traditional Cordilleran outfit. Rather, the whole PCNHS family, together with other schools in Baguio City, wore their traditional outfit that day in celebration of the National Indigenous People’s Day which took place on August 9.
In addition, it was also in compliance with the requirement of the Department of Education for schools to incorporate culture in their subjects.
Through the celebration, PCNHS hopes that what they did will help the students appreciate their roots.
As for the students, they were initially in apparent shock; seeing their educators in the traditional outfits. But the shock gradually wore off after a while, as can be expected with anything that is unusual.
The Officer-in-charge of PCNHS Enriqueta Rabanal reportedly said via ABS-CBN News: “Yung Cordilleran attire na lang for example, nung una, nagulat sila, pero habang tumatagal nasanay sila, parang nomal na lang.”
[Our Cordilleran attire for example, at first, they were shocked but as time passed, it became normal.]
Reports disclosed that the event gained positive results as it boosts the students’ love and pride for their culture.
One student even shared that it was an inspiration to know that their culture and heritage was something they shouldn’t be ashamed of.
Meanwhile, it turned out that even students outside Cordillera learned from the showcasing of the culture after they witnessed the celebration.
The message is clear — Learning about culture should not just be from the books.
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