Before technology exists, Philippine’s ancestors make a living out of their surroundings. If they are living in the land they work as a farmer because they have rich soil to plant a vegetables or fruits and make a living out of it. If they are living near the sea, river or lake they choose to be a fisherman because the water is more accessible to them.
Philippine folk dance is not all about customs and beliefs of the Filipinos, their folk dances also show the occupation of one ethic group. Their dances are their way to show other people what they do for living. The Philippines is surrounded by different body of waters and among the three regions of the Philippines, Visayas is the one who has many islands surrounded by the water and being a fisherman is the common occupation there.
Mananagat is a good example of a folk dance that focused on the occupation of the ethnic group.
TALKING ABOUT MANANAGAT FOLK DANCE
Mananagat dance is a folk dance originated from Bogo, Cebu. It is a dance imitating the actions of the fishermen. The music of the Mananagat folk dance is lively and it is divided into four parts. There is a song made to sing to tell the fisherman’s story and while dancing the dancers are singing the song in accordance with the dance steps.
The dancers who dance the Mananagat folk dance are composed of a female dancers and male dancers. The female dancers are wearing Kimona, a sleeveless blouse while the male dancers are wearing shirt and colored pants, they also used paddle as their prop, to imitate the fisherman on their action.
IMPORTANCE OF THE DANCE
Dancing can help people express themselves, letting people know their feelings and thought through their motions. In the case of the Philippine Folk dance, they can show their culture, beliefs and way of living to other people especially that they have different language and dances can be considered as their universal language because through their dancing motion they can easily express their selves and other people with different ethnicity can easily understands them. With dancing they can tell a story, a story that matters to them and with dancing people can easily understands them and appreciate their story.