SARUKOD TI APO IN QUIRINO PROVINCE

The "Sarukod ti Apo" is inspired by the province's natural bounty, which contains
multiple scenic beauty that led to breathtaking tourist spots such as caves,
waterfalls, rivers, viewpoints, and mountain peaks. The province's tourism
industry currently promotes Quirino as a province of Nature, Culture, and
Adventure. Sarukod ti Apo is one of my favorite forms of art in our Province
because it was influenced by our surroundings. Several of the sights that inspire
its residents and tourists include clean, swift rivers, soaring limestone cliffs,
roaring waterfalls, rolling farm fields, and green forests. It also has a very rich
culture and history, with twenty-one (21) ethnic communities living there,
including the Indigenous Groups of Agta and Bugkalot, who were the first to live
and hunt in the forested foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains. "Sarukod," an
Ilocano word for hiking pole, embodies everything Quirino stands for: naturally
beautiful scenery, a varied and interesting heritage, and a rich historical and
cultural culture. The Philippine Scarlet Hornbill, also known as Kalaw, is the pole
head and serves a significant place in the history and heritage of the Bugkalots
who live in the province's southwestern region. It represents power, self-
awareness, and courage. The "Sarukod" is the work of three (3) groups of artists:
the Nagtipunan Bugkalots, the Cabarroguis Ifugao Wood Craftsmen, and the
IMAQ (I am an Artist of Quirino)/Quirino Visual Artists/Art Teachers. The Sarukod
is intended to be a souvenir from the province of Quirino and should not be seen
as a working pole. One I liked about the Sarukod ti Apo is it represents our
province, Quirino. The rings connected to the pole portray the numerous hiking
trails that lead to the province's several wonderful tourist destinations. The
culture and traditions of the 21 ethnic groups were converted into one artifact by
the Sarukod ti Apo and the method of understanding the concept and
development of the product enriched and preserved the almost forgotten
richness of culture.