BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Kalinga province now has under its belt two Guinness world records – having the world’s largest number of male gong beaters and largest number of female “banga” or earthen pot dancers.
Guinness World Record adjudicator Kazuyoshi Kirimura declared Wednesday evening that Kalinga snared the two world records after 3,440 male gong beaters and 4,681 female banga dancers filled the grounds of Kalinga Sports Complex during the “Awong Chi Gangsa, Agtu’n Chi Banga”( A call of a thousand gongs, the dance of a thousand pots) festival.
Kirimura handed to Kalinga Gov. James Edduba, Kalinga lawmaker Allen Jesse Mangaoang and other officials two certificates confirming the size and numbers of the participants of the gong beating and earthen pot dancers, thus marking the province as having the “Largest Gong Ensemble” and “Largest Banga Festival” in the world.
The activity is part of Kalinga’s 4th “Bodong (Peace Pact) Festival 2023” coinciding with the province’s 28th founding anniversary.
After welcoming all revelers Wednesday noon came the beating of gongs and the entrance of participants from the seven towns of Kalinga forming a dove-like tableau symbolizing peace among the Kalinga tribes.
A sudden downpour mid-afternoon did not dampen the spirit of the “y-Kalingas” to finish the goal of snaring the two world record titles.
As early as January, Kalinga was already gunning for the two world titles. Bishop Prudencio Andaya, chairman of the steering committee, earlier said “more than a spectacle, the event is at its heart a symbolic show of peace among the different sub-tribes of Kalinga.”
Capping the two fetes was the unity and peace expressed among the sub-tribes who had disputes with each other in the past, but where harmony was restored through the indigenous system of holding peace pacts which Kalingas call Bodong.