Being one of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Cordillera Administrative Region, the University of Abra proudly hosted the second phase of the Project Cordillera Heritage on February 7-8, 2023.
Attended by various institutions, headed by the Commission on Higher Education-Cordillera Administrative Region (CHED-CAR), and HEIs within the Cordillera Administrative Region, the 2-day event was packed with information, knowledge-sharing, and even first-hand experience of some of the indigenous culture of Abra.
UA President, Dr. Gregorio T. Turqueza Jr., welcomed the delegates during the opening program and reiterated the value of the project not only for the Abreños but for all provinces in the region as it helps solidify the identity and make every Cordilleran proud of their ancestral legacy.
Day 1 focused on the advancement of instructional materials which primarily aimed on the presentation and evaluation of the workbook chapters of Cordillera Heritage 101. Afterwards, to showcase the Abrenian culture, the Iloco-Tingguian Night was held at the Social Hall, UA Bangued Campus, and also served as a socialization event of the delegates.
Faculty immersion and training series were the programs for Day 2. Delegates visited Agtangao, Bangued, Abra which is known for the pinag-dapil, squeezing of sugarcane using a wooden equipment called pag-dapilan to extract the juice which can then be made into basi, vinegar, and tagapulot/muscovado. The next destination of the immersion was in Bulbulala, La Paz, Abra, which is known to be the home of loom weaving in the province. Thus, the recently celebrated town’s fiesta was dubbed as the Abel Festival.
Discussion on the course content of Cordillera Heritage 101 followed after the immersion which also led to the conclusion of the 2-day program.