The municipality of Santa Fe held its annual town fiesta with the theme “Natatanging Santa Fe: Nagkakaisa sa Pagdiriwang ng Mapayapa, Maunlad at Makulay na Kultura” last week.
On the third day of the town festival, the municipality integrated the Kalanguya Festival that kicked off with a grand parade.
The festival featured a “timbal” or a traditional wedding ritual of the Kalanguya tribe, with a spiritual leader “mabaki” performing holy chants.
The groom’s family offered two native pigs — a sow and a boar — that were offered to “Kabunian” (Supreme Deity) to legitimize the wedding.
Santa Fe Mayor Liwayway Caramat, an adopted daughter of the Kalanguya tribe, conducted the portion of “bagbaga” or giving of advice to the bride and groom.
Of the 8,276 residents of the municipality, nearly all belong to the Kalanguya tribe.
Caramat expressed her sincere appreciation to the tribe for sharing their heritage that binds people together, strengthens unity, and advocates cultural preservation.