LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte (PIA) – The Ilokano language will be put into the limelight as the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) will soon launch the pop music competition in time for its 206th founding anniversary this year.

Lined up among the competitions during the province’s celebration, the said songwriting contest also gives honor to Adelita Bagcal, an Ilokana-awardee of the 2023 Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan for oral traditions.

Bagcal is recognized for her commitment in preserving the Ilokano traditional chant, dallot, which is commonly performed during courtship and marriage.

She was dubbed as the Dallot Queen of the North for her widespan of expertise in traditional chants including dung-aw or mourning ritual.

“She is one of the inspirations in one of our segments for our Tan-ok this year,” said Raquel.

Tan-ok ni Ilokano (Greatness of the Ilokano) is Ilocos Norte’s grandest cultural festival, featuring the unique festivals and culture of each town and city in the province. This will be staged anew at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Stadium in Laoag City.

The head of the province’s tourism office added that this contest provides a platform for homegrown songwriters and musicians to create pop music.

“Also, finding a way to publish this original music on streaming platforms. This is still in the works. We hope to find a brand-new piece of music that can represent the growing community of musicians in our province,” added Raquel.

The Ilokano pop music competition will be held on March 6 at the Malacañang of the North. (MJTAB/PIA Ilocos Norte)