A Tribal Hall in Talakag

We were on our way to Bethany when we passed a group of people gathered and dressed in their colourful traditional Bukidnon attire. We were curious so we stopped and asked if we could take some pictures.

Datu Linggian Modesto B. Pocol, Jr. (who happened to be an old schoolmate) kindly explained what was going on. It turned out that there was a Tribal Wedding going on. We were excited as this was real and not a performance put on for visitors. The rituals, the music and the dances were indeed mesmerizing.

The venue was the Tribal Hall and as you can see it is still under construction. The land it sits on was kindly loaned by the Nobles (a very well-known family in Talakag); however, they need help to complete the construction of the Hall itself. Any donations, financial or in kind (nails, paint, cement, hollow blocks, etc), would be gratefully received.

Datu Linggian and two other Senior Tribal Elders explained why this Tribal Hall means so much to them. It would help preserve their culture and provide a common meeting place where they can learn skills; run basic education classes; and learn to integrate into society which would greatly contribute to the peacekeeping process that is so vital to an area besot with conflict. Likewise, visitors or anyone who is interested can also drop by the Tribal Hall anytime and learn more about the Tribes in Talakag.