IN BETWEEN ballroom and line dancing, noted folksingers from Baguio City, and now from California, New Jersey and Georgia, joined hands for an evening of classic folk songs of Jim Croce and new acoustic hits such as Jason Mraz’ to support two major initiatives of BIBAK-NE USA.
Held at St. Anthony Orthodox hall in Bergenfield, NJ, ‘Rendition with a Mission’ featured Conrad Marzan and Richard Arandia, with Meggz Meru, Melchor Gomeyac, Danny Tangalin (Cape May), and April Estigoy Vera, and later, the entire BIBAK crowd, in a sing-along fest, to benefit the Association’s 2011 Surgical/Dental Mission and Youth Balik-ili projects.
The event was led by BIBAK-NE Chaplain Rev. James Kollin and emceed by VP Tony Trinidad, who also directed the line dancing. Board member Lynette Habawel talked about the Medical and Dental missions of BIBAK-NE that started in 1997 (Operation Badang) and have included various Cordillera Region locations in the Philippines, such as Sagada, Mt. Province, as well as Mainit in Bontoc, Tadian, Besao, Kalinga and, for 2011, the 4th mission in Benguet. The other beneficiary is the Balik-ili program that seeks to expose the youth born or raised in the USA to their roots in the Philippines and gain a better appreciation of their heritage.
BIBAK-NE is organization, active in the Fil-Am community, holds its annual officers induction during the Valentine dinner-dance, along with picnics such as on Memorial Day, and has participated (and won at) the East Coast Grand Canao, and the New Year’s Eve reunion, in various locations in the NYC/NJ area. Its golf team has also won at the annual global Filipino tournament in Baguio City.
BIBAK as an acronym originally stood for Benguet, Ifugao, Bontoc, Apayao, and Kalinga, provinces of the northern Philippines along the Cordillera mountain range home to indigenous cultural groups collectively called Igorots. It has since been updated to include Mountain Province (formerly Bontoc province) and Abra, aligning with the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), with Baguio City as the regional center.
For more information on the Association and its events, please contact president Annabelle Marchadesch at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (718) 916-8115.
( Published June 11, 2010 in LifeEASTyle Magazine p. 2 )
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