“Creating Awareness of Our Revered Pangasinan Culture,”

CHORAL TILT TO PROMOTE PANGASINAN DIALECT LAUNCHED DAGUPAN CITY 

A choral competition dubbed as Sanengseng to be participated in by high school students from public and private schools has been successfully launched last Monday at the Sala Del Obispo Cesar Ma. Guerrero of the Archbishop’s residence here. To revolve on the theme “Creating Awareness of Our Revered Pangasinan Culture,” the competition is one of the components of the 64th Agew na Dagupan celebration on June 20, which will raise the consciousness of young Pangasinenses to rediscover the power and the beauty of Pangasinan dialect through Pangasinan songs.   Participants will all sing to the tune of the classical ballad Malinac Lay Labi.    Present during the launching ceremony were Mayor Benjamin S. Lim, Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, Councilor Jesus Canto and City Schools Division Superintendent Alma Ruby C. Torio.  Sanengseng is a Pangasinan word for “hissing sound,” a brainchild of Villegas, who together with the group of Pangasinan culture enthusiasts expressed interest in the efforts to promote Pangasinan arts and culture, particularly among young Pangasinenses who are not exposed to the finer aspects of their own arts and culture. “The Philippines is a poor country, but in spite of poverty, we have two jewels. The first jewel is our Catholic faith. The second is our song. And it is our faith in God that carries us through in the midst of problems," the prelate said. He also said that “it is also our song that helps us face life’s problems." "When we are sad, we sing. When we are happy, we sing. When we feel romantic, we sing. When we are typing, we sing,” said Villegas. “That is why we are asking our youth in Dagupan to rediscover the power and the beauty of pangasinan songs because we feel that is being lost and we do not want to lose by default," he added.  He said "we the adults wanted to teach our children that there is beauty; and dignity in Pangasinan culture and as a starter, we are asking them to learn “Malinac lay Labi,." "Because we want them to learn, it will not be a choir competition, rather it will be a school competition so that everybody in that school is obliged to study the song and hopefully it will become their pride as a Dagupeño,”

Villegas added. Lim, on the other hand, said "ito ay paggising sa ating mga taga-Pangasinan na bigyan ng importansiya ang ating sariling salita dahil unti-unti ng nawawala ito sa mga kabataan natin ngayun." He added that "if we are going to look at Pangasinan now, only about 30 percent of the whole population of the province speaks the dialect fluently.” “In addition, magkakaroon tayo ng programa sa radio na kung saan weekly ay magkakaroon tayo ng bigkas at salita sa Pangasinan na parang dictionary type na maging gabay sa ating mga kabataan,” he disclosed.  Torio, on the other hand, said that the competition will give reverence to the Pangasinan culture. “We will institutionalize this and we will implement a multi-base education na kung saan ang salitang Pangasinan ay gagamiting medium of instruction. Meantime, we will start with a singing competition na uumpisahan natin sa private at public secondary schools sa Dagupan,” she said. Accordingly, by August, all participants will sing altogether in one voice the “Malinac Lay Labi” along the stretch of A.B. Fernandez Avenue at sundown while holding a lighted candle. (CIO – Joseph C. Bacani)

By: D' Dagupan Dream