Tabuk City, Kalinga—Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) recently approved the enhanced provincial seal of Kalinga which features symbols that can be easily identified at a glance.
Provincial Tourism Officer Lorraine Ngao-i said that the enhanced seal could only be used for official documents in the province, once the ordinance of its proper and official usage is finalized.
Ngao-i narrated that the idea of enhancing the seal came up when the previous seal was supposed to be included in the structures, like the ‘White Carabao’ and the gate of the Provincial Capitol among others. The figures on the seal, however, could not easily be recognized.
The Provincial Seal in the making
Having recognized the need to improve the seal, the Provincial Tourism Office was then tasked to enhance the seal.
Ngao-i started conceptualizing another design based on the previous seal, with the help of Jonas Garvin, Dionica Alyssa Mercado, and Provincial Engineer Jude Dakiwag.
The team’s advancement was regularly reported to Provincial Planning and Development Officer Flor Moldero who suggested revision of some designs.
After 7 revisions, Moldero approved the seal which was presented to the Provincial Development Council (PDC). The PDC, composed of the city and municipal mayors, Chairman of Committee of Appropriations, Governor, and Congressman, requested two more revisions of the seal.
The 9th revision was then presented to the SP. The members made suggestions that were incorporated with revision number 11.5 and later approved the seal on their 59th session.
According to the Provincial Tourism Officer, the elements are as follows;
153 Adchongan/Addongan (Stone banded agate)—symbolize wealth, it is the eminent and notably priced bead with such massive amount in Kalinga.
The outer margin surrounded by 153 Adchongan Beads conformed the number of Barangays in Kalinga. It is strung into a single strand, signifying the notions of totality and unity of the 153 Barangays. Inscribed on the circular band that surrounds the seal are the words “Lalawigan ng Kalinga” on top and “Sagisag” at the bottom with two-shield/spear/head axe-motifs representing the two districts of Kalinga.
The supporter of the shield contains the four significant milestones of Kalinga:
1. The rice stalks represent the Kalinga Heirloom Rice “Uloy/Unoy”, a rice variety which can only be found in three places in the world: Philippines (Kalinga), remote areas of Indonesia and the mountainous areas of Madagascar. The “Chong-ak” variety of Kalinga is listed in the Slow Food Ark of Taste – an international catalogue of endangered heritage foods;
2. The two archaeological icons – The archaeological tools; the North arrow and the trowel and the Rhinoceros Philippinensis head, represent the 709, 000-year-old fossils unearthed by the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) and the Museum Nationale d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) of France, at Sitio Greenhills, Barangay San Pedro, Rizal, Kalinga in February 2014.
Results of the excavations have yielded 57 stone tools associated with an almost-complete disarticulated skeleton of Rhinoceros Philippinensis, which shows clear signs of butchery, evidencing it as the world’s earliest known hominin activity, and together with it were other fossil fauna remains attributed to stegodon, Philippine brown deer, freshwater turtle and monitor lizard. The age of the fossils was confirmed using various advanced dating methods, such as the electron-spin resonance of quartz grains, single-crystal 40Ar/39Ar dating, and electron spin resonance uranium-series dating;
3. The woven textile of Kalinga called “Laga”, symbolizes the traditional backstrap weaving practice of the people which was recently adopted as a regular curriculum under the Department of Education’s K to 12 program for senior high school students making Kalinga the very first implementer of this wonderful step in preserving our heritage; and lastly,
4. The founding year 1995, is the year Kalinga and Apayao sub-provinces were converted into regular provinces by virtue of Republic Act 7878 dated February 14, 1995.
III. Coat of the Arms: Main or focal element of the seal.
- Contains the rich cultural heritage of Kalinga
a.) Top portion: represents the five highest mountain peaks namely Mt. Alchan, Mt. Sapocoy, Mt. Mausan, Mt. Alimungao and Mt. Binuluan, and the curvature in-between represents the rugged, undulating mountain chain that hems the borderlands of the province.
b.) Bottom portion: represents the base of the traditional cookware called “Byanga”.
c.) Cross - Divides the shield into quadrants reflecting the allusion of the historical first Christian mass on Kalinga soil held at Tuga, Tabuk City in 1689.
Lubay – represents the mineral resources of the province.
Shield, Spear and Head Axe – represent the customized ancient weapons of combat of the Kalinga warriors which were shaped by the Kalinga way of life but besides warfare, it also symbolizes the Kalinga unique Justice System and Socio-Cultural and Economic Institution called “Bodong”, which forges relationships, resolves conflicts and fosters peaceful co-existence.
First—Contains the emerald Rice Terraces depicting the rice fields as a symbol of sustenance, natural prosperity, and abundance making Kalinga the “Rice Granary of the Cordilleras”.
Second – Contains the most iconic natural landmark of Kalinga, the legendary Sleeping Beauty Mountain (Mt. Mating-oy Dinayao / Mt. Patukan), which is shaped like a woman supinely resting on the crest of a mountain. Legend has it that “Dinayao”, said to have been a Kalinga rare beauty, who, after hearing the death of her beloved “Binsay”, a brave Kalinga warrior in a tribal skirmish, mourned to her death. Touched by this maiden’s unrequited love, Kabunyan (Kalinga God) turned her into a mountain and the tears in her eyes which were flooded in grief, spread in thousands of threads on the green moss-covered cliff cascading into a beautiful waterfall, the said waterfall also depicts Kalinga as the “Land of Living Waters”. The Sleeping Beauty Mountain is considered by the locals as a “Natural Monument of Love”, a living landform that reminds the Ikalingas the pure form of love. Its legend is now part of Kalinga’s cultural treasure. On top of it is a sunburst depicting the glories of the people's past and the light of knowledge and vision of its people. Lastly, the river represents the “Chico River” (Kayakayam), which is the river of life of the Kalinga people.
Third - Kalinga is home to ancient traditions, hence this part contains the heirloom pieces: “Gangsa” (brass gong), “Gusi” (jar) and “Palay” (antique china ware); and early functional arts: “Batok” (traditional tattoo) and “Byanga” (traditional pottery).
Fourth - The Carabao and the traditional plow represent Kalinga as one of the top rice producing provinces of the country; Coffee, the top known product of Kalinga because of its acclaimed aroma and blend; and the oranges represent Kalinga’s heritage fruit, “Gayyunan”.
The colors used in the seal were based from the “GILAMAT”, the most popular motif that dominated early Kalinga textiles. Colors were very important to the Kalinga people and they are not just meant for decorative purposes. Although the variety of colors was limited in the early days, red, black, white, green and yellow were carefully chosen, giving enormous energy to the Kalinga textile.
Red, the color of blood, represents filiality because of their strong sense of filial loyalty to their family and tribal membership, which often results in frequent tribal unrest and occasional outright conflict in the early days.
Black, the color of death, represents bravery because of their aggressive warrior culture and fearlessness.
For them, red and black evoked strong emotions of filiality and bravery, therefore dominantly used in the male’s traditional garment as an addition to their ferocious tribal tattoos and their ancient weapons of combat. The red and black textile was made a part of their psychological warfare in projecting overwhelming aura of intimidation and fear towards their enemies during tribal wars and head-hunting expeditions, hence gained the name “Kalinga”, meaning “head hunter”, a name that spreads terror and panic in nearby settlements in the early days.
Yellow, the color of the sun, represents cheerfulness since this color is often displayed and used during festive occasions. The alternation of yellow and red were dominant in the female’s traditional garment because it manifests warmth and filial emotions which brought out the clear browns of their skin.
Green, the color of nature, represents the backdrop forests and mountains which are the sources of life of the Kalinga people.
White, the color of faith, represents sacredness. White altar tapestries (sa-oy) are used during sacred ceremonies and rituals.
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