Zamboanga's Yakan Village is as Mindanao as could be
The author with the Yakan children With today's modern society, and Man's hurry to progress, many of our cultural heritages have been forgotten. Our forefathers, in their obsession to catch up with modern times, have neglected to pass on what we could have counted as part of history. But this ethnic tribe has not. The Yakan people originally come from the Basilan province. During the trying times of the '70s, some of the population opted to move to the safer Zamboanga City, bringing along with them traditions and culture as a means of making a livelihood. Although some of them may have moved on to become more progressive, a small village in Zamboanga City has preserved their culture, which is now known as the Yakan Village. This small group of people earn their livelihood by showing guests the traditional dance, Pangalay , which is also practised by other Muslim tribes, and by selling handwoven goods. Considering the amount of effort put into it and what it symb...