Popular Culture in my Region

Abra is a Philippines landlocked province in the Cordillera Administrative Region of Luzon. It was
founded in 1846 as a political-military province with the sub-province of Lepanto. It stayed like way until
1899, when the Americans arrived. The Philippine Assembly re-established Abra as a province on March
9, 1917. It is bordered on the northwest by Ilocos Norte, on the northeast by Apayao, on the mid-east by
Kalinga, on the southeast by Mountain Province, and on the southwest by Ilocos Sur. The province of
Abra is divided into 27 municipalities, with Bangued serving as the capital.

Abra is one of the Philippines' least visited provinces, yet it is also one of the most beautiful. Abra has a
reputation for being "unsafe" in the past, owing to political gang fights and election rivalry. These days,
the issues have subsided, and the province has calmed down slightly. Abra's allure originates from the
fact that it is not on any tourist map. Outsiders, in fact, tend to overlook it. As a result, our time in this
rustic province will be as natural and authentic as possible. Indigenous dyeing is clearly a vanishing art
form. It is critical to bring it to light because it is a component of the larger "Filipino identity and local
artistry" that most Filipinos take for granted.

Mountains, Nature, Hiking Trails, Waterfalls, Museums, Ancestral Houses, and Spanish Era Churches and
Ruins are just a few of the attractions of Abra.

Abra has also managed to keep some of its local cultures and traditions alive. By exploring the province
and mixing with the locals you will discover more.

The Abrenians have a variety of festivals to commemorate their lives. The first is the Kawayan Festival
(Bamboo Festival), which is the largest of the local celebrations. Because of the abundance of bamboos
in their province, Abrenian has named this event after them. Dapil Festival is another. This is a sugarcane
celebration, as sugarcane is one of the province's principal agricultural products and is used to make
local wine, Basi, vinegar, molasses (muscovado), and candies. Dapil is derived from the word "Dadapila,"
which refers to a sugar cane juice extraction machine. Arya Abra Festival was also held. This is a week-
long festival that coincides with the province's founding anniversary. It is a commemoration of Abra's
declaration as an independent province.

In the local communities, there is an elderly patriarchal figure who is assisted by other male village
elders. They organize an elders' council to discuss community issues. Traditional political structures were
created to resolve conflicts within and among tribes, as well as to protect and promote the tribe's
socioeconomic interests.

To solidify their colonial power, Spanish and US colonial rulers-imposed laws, socio-political institutions,
and culture. The purpose of church missions was to save "pagans" while also establishing the moral and
institutional power of friars and missionaries. Schools were built to justify colonial control and to
educate colonial subjects in order to hasten the integration process.

Since the village council of elders’ system has been integrated into the national political system, the
village council has little influence unlike before. However, the people still stick to their customs and
traditions and this is where the village council comes in. On the whole, the process of integration into
the national politics and culture is steadily eroding traditional socio-political-cultural practices and
institutions. This created the condition for the rise of political warlordism and family political dynasty in
Abra. In the whole of CAR, Abra is known for its violent conflict among political warlords.

Abra's population predates Spanish colonialism. Agriculture and trade with the lowlands and the
Chinese helped the locals create a self-sufficient economy. To defend and sustain their community and
identity, they built social-political, cultural practices and institutions. They took part in and led the anti-
colonial war in the Abra-Ilocos region, which included Spanish, American, and Japanese forces.

Traditional institutions are dissolving, assimilation and integration into post-colonial politics, socio-
economic system, and culture are ongoing processes over which they have little control. Political
warlordism and family dynasties, which continue to plague Abra, are a highly conflictive aspect of this
dynamic. There are national laws/policies that disregard the concept of ancestral land and identify Abra
and/or the Cordillera as a resource base for businesses to exploit. IPs in Abra, like indigenous peoples in
the Cordillera region, are ignored, discriminated against, and misrepresented.

The realization that people united can make a difference for a just and thriving Abra, Cordillera, and
Philippines is growing in strength. This is a hopeful sign.