BIBAK -- People of the Cordilleras
The people of the Cordillera Central mountains in northern Luzon,
Philippines, are comprised of several indigenous cultural groups the largest of which are the Igorots and Ifugaos.
Their ancestors are the creators of the awe-inspiring rice terraces often called the
eighth wonder of the world. Many have left their mountain homes to seek
better opportunities elsewhere. Like many diaspora, they maintain their
cultural heritage in foreign lands by gathering together in common bond.
BIBAK is the organization that keeps their traditions
alive. BIBAK is the acronym for the subgroups of Cordillera Country: Benguet,
Ifugao, Bontoc, Apayao, and Kalinga. (Note: Some groups use BIMAK which
is based on provinces and replaces the "B" of Bontoc with "M" for Mountain
Province).
Metro Toronto BIBAK Association
BIBAK Toronto, Canada, was organized on 11 February 1990. It became incorporated
on 17 October 1990 as The Filipino Igorots of BIBAK Association in Metro
Toronto as a nonprofit organization. The general objectives of the organization
are to unite the Igorots in Metro Toronto, to share our culture, arts,
songs and dances with the community and to help each other in times of
need.
BIBAK Toronto publishes the newsletter:
For more information:
The Igorot
119 Poplar Road
Westhill, Ontario M1E 1Z5
Canada
Phone (416) 283-0710
BIBAK Los Angeles
Publishes The Igorot Quarterly to share with the human community
the story of the Igorot -- their culture, arts, and letters; their history
and their struggles to rise above themselves; and to be a medium of communication
among Igorots.
For more information:
BIBAK, Inc.
1027 S. Lolita Street
West Covina, CA 91791
Phone (818) 919-1094 FAX (818) 919-5144
BIMAK Washington, D.C.
BIMAK Washington DC hosted the 2nd Igorot International Consultation -
2 (IIC-2) in July 1997 at Sheraton National Hotel at Arlington Virginia
which is minutes away from Washington DC. There were about 600 hundred
participants coming from all over the world. Our theme was "Respecting
our heritage, adapting to our new environment". We invited individuals
who have lived with us and studied our way of life. We also invited Igorots
who have become successful in their respective fields. The highlight of
our consultation were our seminars targeted more to our youth.
For more information contact Edwin B. Abeya (abeya@erols.com)
or Website: http://www.bimakdc.com
Baguio Fil-Am Virginia
Baguio Fil-Am of Tidewater, Inc. was formed as a non-profit, social, charitable organization
to establish rapport with civic communities in the Tidewater area and especially to promote
and preserve the unique tradition and culture of the place.
For more information contact: Roger Velbis (BaguioFilAm@aol.com)
or Website: http://baguiofilam.duyan.com/
BIBAK Texas
For more information email: bibaktexasusa@aol.com
or Website: http://www.bibaktexas.com
Igorot-Austria
For more information visit: http://www.geocities.com/igorot_austria1
Other BIBAKs
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BIBAK San Diego
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BIBAK Chicago
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BIBAKs Northeast and New York
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BIBAK Northern California
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BIBAK Pacific Northwest
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BIBAK Hawaii
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BIBAK Vancouver, Canada
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BIBAK Melbourne, Australia
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The Igorot Fellowship of London
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The Igorot Fellowship of Las Vegas
Thanks go to Regina Banagao of BIBAK Toronto for providing this information.
See photos by R. Gardner:
robertg@aenet.org