Metamorphosis_Kalahi-CIDSS Compendium 2015

Of Elders and Culture
Rise and Shine. Though a small community, Besao continues to be one of the most
active when it comes to community projects*
In the landlocked municipality of Besao in Mountain Province, the mountain
ranges have kept culture and traditions intact for centuries until the introduction
of concrete roads and large scale infrastructure.
Dominantly inhabited by members of the Kankana-ey ethno-linguistic tribe, the town is
accessible by road by passing through the municipalities of Sabangan and Sagada.
As physical developments paved way for the rural folks to gain easier access to needs and
commodities, some cultural practices and values started to wane. Even the traditional
community structure was affected by the changes prompting the elders, revered the wise
magi of the community, to resonate objections.
However, as it has done for years, Besao endured such drastic transformation and adapted
its own ways to weave back its waning culture and traditions onto its ongoing industrial
modernization.
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