Cordillera Community in Belgium’s (Cordi-Bel) 30th Anniversary

   

    Ric Cuyob

Good evening, kakailian, friends, and beloved guests!

Our humble beginning

It has been thirty years!

In 1996, that was 30 years ago, a few Igorot families here in Belgium felt a deep need to stay connected. They wanted to bond, unite, and build a community—not just for themselves, but to ensure that our Cordillera soul would not be lost so far from home. I remember when we first met at Avenue des Saisons. We did not have much. What we had was only a pinikpikan without gongs to beat but filled with a lot of laughter. 

Today, looking back, three decades of Cordi-Bel feels just like three nights ago. While we may still describe ourselves as a "small community," our impact is anything but small. Look around this room. We see the faces of those who were there at our very first informal meetings, and we see the vibrant faces of our youth. What is even more beautiful is seeing our next generation eager to play the gong, proud to wear our inabel, and confident in their identity right here in the heart of Europe! Last year, during the 12th ICBE gathering hosted by Cordi-Bel, we witnessed our children wearing the wanes and tapis, beating the gongs, and practicing the dinuyya, salidsid, and tayaw and many other improvised Igorot dances. It reminded every one of us that our culture is alive and well in their hands.

What is it in our culture and what is our mission

Yet, our culture is more than our dances, our clothing, and our traditions. There is something deeper that we must carry wherever we go: the spirituality of inayan.

Tonight is our Thanksgiving. We give thanks to Apo Kabunian for always being with us and constantly guiding our path. We give thanks for the resilience of the first generation, for the deep friendships we have built here in Belgium, and for the beautiful truth that no matter how far away we are from the Cordillera mountains, we have created a true home for our culture. As we celebrate our 30 years full of gratitude, our mission remains the same: to pass on the passion. 

Over the past 30 years, we, the first generation, have had our limitations. We made mistakes along the way, and we faced setbacks, yet together, we built a community that has endured for three decades.

The invitation and what to keep always at heart

To our second generation: It is obvious that you are better equipped than your elders. So, we invite you to build on what we have started and take our community to even greater heights. If we sometimes criticize your actions, if we keep pushing you to aspire for your biggest dreams, and if we constantly ask you to draw strength from our community—it is only because we care. We support you, and we love you deeply.

As you find greater opportunities in life, always carry Iniyan in your hearts. Respect and take care of those who clean your offices, apartments, or houses, and those who babysit your children. Never forget that most of us, the first generation, worked—and many still work—as house cleaners, nannies, babysitters, and gardeners to give you the life you have today.

To the Cordi-Bel family: let this milestone remind us that we are "bonded together" to stay focused on our vision.

To our dear guests and friends: you are here tonight because we truly value your support. You have stood by us from the very beginning, both inside and outside our Igorot community here in Belgium. 

To those joining us for the first time tonight: welcome. You are now part of this challenging journey.

Observance of inherited wisdom leads to a hopeful future

Tonight, we celebrate where we came from and where we are going. In the next thirty years, if we stay guided by the spirituality of Inayan and Agasiyas, and if we hold on confidently, trusting "taasioway nasdi, waday kaasina," we can be optimistic that our community will thrive for generations to come. Then we can look forward to even bigger celebrations! “Wada pai di watwat!”

But for now, let the stories be shared, let the gongs reverberate, and let us feast in gratitude.

Happy 30th Anniversary to Cordi-Bel!

Agbiag!

Matago-tago tako am-in!

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Some Lexicon:

 

Kakailian means compatriots.  In the Cordillera, it means fellow villagers.

 

Pinikpikan is a popular name of delicacy in the Cordillera. Honestly, there is no uniform way of preparing it but basically the base is a boiled singed chicken. Other ingredients are added depending on what is available in the village. 

 

Inabel is what we call the garment or tissue hand woven in the village.

 

Wanes is the G-string. It is the men’s loins cloth. Originally, there are different designs for every tribe.

 

Tapis is the original Cordillera women’s skirt. There are also different designs according to tribe. 

 

Dinuyya, Salidsid, Tayaw are names of the many different original Cordilleran dances 

 

Inayan is the unwritten moral compass handed down by our Igorot ancestors since time immemorial. It is very similar to the Golden Rule. However, in our Igorot concept, it is not strictly limited to human relations; the concept is expanded to include an environmental perspective. This is why we are always told not to abuse nature, but to help protect, preserve, and respect the ecosystem.

 

Agasiyas does not only mean mind, wisdom, conscience, intellect, reason, and judgment; it also carries the descriptive meanings of being "right," "just," "sound," and "clear." Therefore, it translates to concepts such as a clear conscience, sound judgment, just wisdom, and a sound mind.

 

“Ta asi oway nasdi, wadai kaasina” is considered a prayer of faith and a hopeful trust to a providential blessing. It is in the sense of, “we do our best and God will do the rest.”

 

“Wada pai di watwat” is the expression of sharing. Watwat is a noun referring to the item or literally the piece of meat that was given or received. In the present time, we could say the token.  E-watwat is the action of distributing a piece of meat or the token.