Philippine Dance Troupe Shares Filipino Culture with South African Youth

KALOOB members teaching chalijok and tinikling to South African children under the care 

of the Ya Bana Village (photos from Pretoria PE)

PRETORIA 05 December 2023 – Fresh from its acclaimed performance at the University of Pretoria’s Aula Theatre on 26 November 2023, the KALOOB Philippine Music and Dance Ministry, in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria, conducted a workshop on Philippine traditional dances for the children and staff of Ya Bana Village, a South African non-profit organization, on 27 November 2023.

Since its establishment in 2006, Ya Bana Village has been providing permanent housing, holistic care and other support services to orphaned and vulnerable children. The organization currently operates eight foster care homes, an early learning center, a youth living center, and a community hall. Ya Bana means “for the children” in Setswana, one of the 12 official languages of South Africa.

The workshop started with KALOOB members performing Chalijok (harvest-time dance of the Kalinga people) and Tinikling (a popular Philippine folk dance that uses bamboo poles and serves as a metaphor of Filipino people's resilience and good humor). KALOOB coordinator Blesilda “Baelan” Reynoso provided background information on the featured dances for the benefit of the Ya Bana Village children and staff.

During the hands-on training, the KALOOB members and the South African participants forged a warm bond. The former were more than happy to teach the dances to the children who, in turn, showed great enthusiasm in learning this important aspect of Philippine culture and heritage.

Apart from the dances, the KALOOB also taught the children how to play Philippine traditional musical instruments such as the gangsa, the traditional gong of the Cordilleran people. 

Philippine Embassy officials led by Philippine Ambassador to South Africa Noralyn Jubaira Baja were present to interact with the students and staff as well as tour the Ya Bana Village facilities. 

The lively and interactive workshop ended with the Ya Bana Village children showing their appreciation to KALOOB and Embassy officials by showcasing their creative talents through a song-and-dance number.

Reflecting on the successful conduct of the workshop, Ambassador Baja remarked, “The activity is in line with the Embassy’s ongoing efforts to showcase the rich and multicultural heritage of the Philippines to the people of South Africa. It is important for the Philippine side to continuously engage with the South African youth who will play a critical role in deepening the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.”

The workshop was part of the Embassy’s commemorative events to mark the 30 years of Philippine-South African diplomatic relations. END

 LEFT: A child tries to play the gangsa; RIGHT: Ya Bana children perform for the KALOOB members and Philippine Embassy officials (photos from Pretoria PE)

For more information, visit https://www.pretoriape.dfa.gov.ph  or https://facebook.com/PHLinSouthAfrica/