ARMM tribal groups show identity, culture

COTABATO CITY – The tribal groups in
Muslim Mindanao can be identified through the food they prepare and offer to
guests, so the saying goes.

This is what is happening in an eat all you can” event
inside the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) compound here as the
Cultural Village highlights seven tribal groupings.

Dubbed as Food Festival,” the seven tribal groups
with makeshift village put up around the ARMM complex here, have offered
traditional food and delicacies.Visitors, mostly local officials and ordinary
villagers visit, share, taste food at the Iranun village, one of the tribal
groups, which present the tradional Pagana.” Visitors were treated like special
guests regardless of status in life.

Foods are everywhere, fruits too,” said one of the
visitors from Manila on a business trip here who dropped by the mock villages. Only
in Maguindanao,” he said of the food from Iranun village that included Muslim
delicacies Pyurs,” Amik,” Piaparan” and many more.

As the guests take sumptuous food, local artists
performed Kulintang” musical accompanied by a Muslim dance troupe.

In nearby booth was a Tausug village” where fruits
and sea foods ready to eat. Featured in the Tausug village from Sulu were
traditional food known as Tiyula Itum,” Daral”, Putli Mandi,” Pasong” and
many more.

Guests were also treated with traditional Tausug dance
and music.

Not far away were the Maranao,” Sama,” Teduday,” Yakan”
and other minority tribal groups.

Colorful flaglets, known as Bandala,” litter around
the compound in a very festive mode. Replicas of traditional houses are very
visible.

One can tour and visit the ARMM through miniature
villages where customs, traditions and traditional food are put forward.

Through this miniature villages one can identify a
tribal food because of the food, color, traditional dress and delicacies,”
Mayor Kits Guro of Matanog, Maguinanao said as he pointed to the Iranun
village.

Mims Ayupan, a food chef, said visiting the mock
villages place means you have visited” the entire ARMM.

The cultural village was the brainchild of ARMM Gov.
Mujiv Hataman to show to the world the rich culture of various tribal groups in
the region.