To celebrate National Arts Month, the Mangyan Heritage Center conducted the second Mangyan Cultural Festival in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Mangyan Peoples Organizations (PO) and the local government of Oriental Mindoro on February 7-9, 2008 at the Jose J. Leido Memorial National High School Gymnasium in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.


Click to view Gallery
Sharing the thrust of the Philippine Arts Festival, the Mangyan Cultural Festival aimed to:

       1. Raise awareness of the richness of Mangyan culture to lowland Mindoreños.
       2. Promote recognition and respect for the Mangyans and their diverse cultures
          through various forms of artistic expression
       3. Celebrate and promote the Mangyans' unique arts and crafts
       4. Instill among the Mangyan youth a deeper appreciation and understanding
          of their own heritage and of the need to keep it alive for the next generations

The Mangyan Cultural Festival is the only major cultural activity in Oriental Mindoro with representations from all seven Mangyan tribes in the province. Highlights of the three-day activity were an exhibit of photographs and indigenous artifacts and crafts, as well as a Mangyan village featuring traditional Mangyan demo homes. Artisans from the Mangyan tribes also demonstrated their arts and crafts. Visitors learned to write their names in Mangyan script, spin cotton, weave cloth and baskets. They were also taught how to string beads as accessories, and play traditional musical instruments. Mangyan products were also sold during the event.

Capping the festival was a play entitled Ang Paglalakbay ni Waraan (The Journey of Waraan), which was presented by Mangyan students coming from the different tribes. The play presented the rich Mangyan cultural practices, as well as important issues the Mangyans are struggling with at present.

Since the Mangyan Cultural Festival aimed to reach as many people as possible, it was promoted extensively with the help of local media, government offices, schools, tourism establishments and other organized groups. The local government as well as several establishments in Calapan provided financial and in-kind support to augment the grant provided by NCCA.

The MHC estimated around 3,000 visitors who saw the three-day exhibit and watched the three performances of the play at the of Jose J. Leido Memorial National High School. Around 300 Mangyan representatives, mostly PO leaders and youth from the seven Mangyan tribes in Oriental Mindoro, were also present to share their rich cultural practices with the lowlanders.

The Mangyan Cultural Festival also paved the way for the honing of Mangyan talents, as well as strengthening networks with other cultural workers and arts enthusiasts in Oriental Mindoro and beyond.

The first Mangyan Cultural Festival was conducted in February 2007 at the Divine Word College of Calapan.