Nueva Era fuses ‘Oggayam’ in HS curriculum

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff reporter

Nueva Era, Ilocos Norte—As one of the cultural communities in the province of Ilocos Norte, the municipality of Nueva Era has integrated Tingguians’ traditional “Oggayam” in Nueva Era National High School (NENHS) curriculum.

NENHS senior high school coordinator Geralyn Nabaysa said the Oggayam is now being taught in all high school levels of the said school.

Ms. Nabaysa said the Oggayam integration in their curriculum helps preserve their culture. She disclosed that Tingguians, an indigenous peoples (IP) group in this town, comprise at least 80% of their school population.

She added that the integration was based on a study made on the students, and which was presented last year in the first Singapore Institute of Multidisciplinary Research Festival held in Taguig City

The Ilocos Times learned that of the 150 studies presented, the NENHS-owned research entitled “Effectiveness of Simulation in Developing the Student’s Skills in Chanting the Oral Tradition “Oggayam” of the Tingguians” were recognized as a “Reviewers Choice Awardee” from the 11 qualified studies.   

“Our study aims to develop the oral skills of the Tingguian youths as well as revitalizing their connection into their Tingguian oral tradition through simulation trainings assisted by the local chanters in the community,” Ms. Nabaysa explained.

Relative to this, Ms. Nabaysa also noted that the school continuously bring Tingguian elders to the school to personally teach the students the proper skills in chanting and reciting the Oggayam.

“We are very lucky to have the opportunity of creating something significant for my fellow Tingguian youths especially [in] our own Tingguian community because the oral tradition Oggayam is obviously fading because our elders who are very competent of the oral tradition are getting old,” Grade 12 student Judielle Mae T. Inong said.

Ms. Inong further stressed that this endeavor would help in the preservation of their culture since the younger generations would learn the proper chanting skills.

NENHS head teacher Henry Langgisan admitted that oral tradition like Oggayam is really fading in this town wherein Tingguian elders are already hard to locate, especially during special occasions where they are needed to join and participate.

“This is the reason why we started to train the students more so that I am also a Tingguian by blood,” Mr. Langgisan said.

Mr. Langgisan usually performs the Oggayam during special occasions in this town.

The Oggayam is a kind of song, which is commonly sang by leaders to celebrate a certain occasion dressed in their native attire and own dialect. It originally comes from the colorful culture of people from Ilocos and Kalinga.