Top students champion folk music in Quirino province’s bamboo ensemble

The cool kids at Maddela Comprehensive High School aren’t the usual cheerleaders and b-boys. Here, the most prestigious group a student can be part of is the Bamboo Ensemble, a folk performance troupe that performs all over Quirino province.

At least forty students are specially chosen for the school’s Special Program in the Arts (SPA) to form the Bamboo Ensemble. Percussionists create music by striking bamboo poles, accompanied by singers and dancers wearing the traditional dress of the Cordillera region.

Being chosen for the Bamboo Ensemble is much like being placed in an advanced class for the gifted — it isn’t a matter of simply signing up. School officials approach students who show talent in singing, dancing and playing instruments; new recruits learn not just the steps and music, but the history of the tribes.

Aside from the obvious talent that the teenagers have, what makes the Bamboo Ensemble tick is their dedication to the folk traditions. “‘Mahalaga po ‘yung mga sayaw ng mga ninuno natin. ‘Yun talaga ang priority ng SPA,” dancer Angelica Agduyeng tells “Biyahe ni Drew” backstage.

Their repertoire includes dances from the northern tribes of the Philippines such as the Agta and Ifugao people.

As a team, The Bamboo Ensemble trains several times a week after school. Practice becomes daily when they have a special event coming up.


In between dance numbers, soloist City Nihaya Moda belts an ethereal folk song none of their city-dwelling audience can understand.

“Namamatay na po ‘yung mga ganitong sayaw at kanta, kaya binubuhay ulit namin,” dancer Karen Joy Barrientos says.

Barrientos adds that while folk dancing isn’t most kids’ choice of hobby these days, it’s one she enjoys with her friends. “Masaya, sama-sama po kami,” she said.

Under the tutelage of conductress Vivian Cristobal and school principal Dr. Catherine Atchuela, the Bamboo Ensemble has had concerts around the province and even in Manila. Their proudest achievement so far? Performing at the National Trade Fair at the SM Mall of Asia.


In their home province, the Bamboo Ensemble performs during provincial festivals and for tourists visiting Quirino. (Find out how you can book them for a performance with the full itinerary by “Biyahe ni Drew”) However, they also have an audience in locals who are proud to see teenagers keeping the traditions alive.

“Heritage natin iyan,” says a middle-aged woman in the audience. “Dapat ipagmalaki.” —CM, GMA News