Now on its 11th season, the cultural show, which is anchored by House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda and produced by ANC and NCCA, has been documenting the life ways, traditions and practices of various indigenous groups in the country since 2015.
With the entire country still basking in the afterglow of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz’s historic gold-medal feat at the recent Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Dayaw’s newest season, which focuses on games indigenous to the country, is a timely reminder that fitness, competition and athletics are innate and very much part of the Filipino lifestyle and culture in the countryside.
The mission to promote Filipino indigenous culture and heritage goes on for the award-winning documentary series Dayaw with the launch of its 11th season on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, this August.
A production of ANC and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Dayaw has been documenting the life ways, traditions, practices and culture of different indigenous groups in the country since 2015.
Still leading the way for Dayaw on its 11th season is its host, three-term senator, and now House Deputy Speaker and Antique congresswoman, Loren Legarda, who conceptualized the program. Legarda recently hosted a media conference via Zoom to shed light on the development.
“It has always been Dayaw’s mission to document as many aspects of Filipino culture and knowledge systems as possible. We can only save these from extinction by continuing to instill their importance in the younger generation, and let them practice and learn these treasures. With the theme ‘Kakaibang Sigla,’ Dayaw Season 11 allows us to look at the different ways in which our energy, competitiveness and sportsmanship are mainstreamed in the traditional societies and knowledge systems,” Loren said.
She also cited everyone behind the show, from the cameraman down to her staff, including writer Floy Quintos, who has beautifully put into words the rich imagery and back stories captured on camera.
After featuring traditional Filipino children’s games such as patintero, sipa and luksong tinik in the first episode, followed by a two-part special on the Punnuk, a show of physical strength that ends the Ifugao’s harvest season, Dayaw will then focus on Filipino martial arts such as arnis, silat and eskrima in its next two episodes, starting on Thursday (August 26), 6 p.m., on ANC and the ANC Facebook.
The season will wrap up on September 3 with “Sayawang Pinoy,” an episode highlighting how grace and fluidity of movements of Filipinos express our energy, discipline and joy as a people.
Despite the pandemic, “Dayaw” has been able to launch new seasons, with Season 12 already in the works. Titled “Kakaibang Sigla: Our Vital Energy Part 2,” it will explore love, courtship, marriage and the cycles of life featuring the Gaddang, Tboli, and Sama Dilaut.
“We are fortunate to have shot a treasure-trove of materials before the pandemic began. This has enabled us to go on with our mission of telling the stories of our indigenous peoples so that future generations may still be able to appreciate and continue their legacy,” said ANC chief operating officer Nadia Trinidad.
NCCA chair Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso expressed his gratitude to former Senator Legarda and ANC for their part in bringing our indigenous people’s knowledge and heritage closer to Filipino and even foreign viewers.
“I would like to commend Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda for her vision and commitment to preserve, promote and enrich our culture and heritage, and to ANC for translating that vision into an exemplary body of work,” he said.
Dayaw Season 11 airs every Thursday at 6 p.m. on ANC on cable and the ANC Facebook page. For news, follow @ANCalerts on Facebook and Twitter or visit news.abs-cbn.com/anc online or via the ABS-CBN News App. Watch ANC online via iWantTFC. For updates, follow @ABSCBNPR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit abs-cbn.com/newsroom.
