Welcome Elginites!

Last month members of BIBBAK-IL traveled to "not-so-distant" Elgin, where we met more fellow Igorots during our dance & music gathering.  Not only did we play our gangsas and practice several dances, but we also enjoyed great food.  Our new friends, the Pataras family, who hail from Benguet, made all of us feel at home with their homemade pandesal and watwat.

We are very happy to have them join BIBBAK-IL, and we are looking forward to having more Igorots from Elgin join our BIBBAK-IL family.

Seeking Ifugao & Apayao Representative

We are seeking individuals to become the Representatives for the provinces of Ifugao and Apayao.  If you or anyone you know would like to volunteer your time by filling these positions, please send us an email.

Qualifications Required:

• Be of Ifugao or Apayao heritage
• Permanent residence in Illinois
• Willing to be actively involved
• Agree to BIBBAK's Constitution and Bylaws

2011 Kickoff Gathering was a Success

2011 Kickoff Gathering - Some of our Core Group

We held our first gathering this past Saturday, and we are pleased to announce that it was a success.  We had a good mixture of people who attended.  Among them were long-time members, somewhat newer members, brand new people and a good mixture of youth.

The gathering began with food and socializing.  Our "finger food" potluck turned into a nice showing of dishes like kambing papaitan, purple rice, fried chicken, dinakdakan, tapey, pizza, garlic peanuts, buffalo wings, pies and cheesecake.  As we enjoyed the food while music form the Cordilleras played in the background, new friends were made and old acquaintances renewed.

Our officers then introduced themselves before conducting a wonderful presentation about BIBBAK-Illinois and its vision for 2011 (see our Vision 2011 page).  At one point, everyone including the children broke into small workshop groups to collaborate and discuss their wishes for BIBBAK-IL while taking part in fun discussions about our Igorot culture.  Towards the end of the presentation, Rexcrisanto introduced the "I'm an IK" fundraising & awareness effort (see I'm an IK page).  After he raised the challenge to revive BIBBAK-IL, everyone sang "Nan Layad nen Sikhafan" to the strumming of a guitar.  Even though not everyone understood the meaning of the lyrics, it was beautiful and bonding none the less.

Two new people were added to our group of leaders.  We would like to congratulate and introduce you to Lynn Fackayan, who is our new Representative for Bontoc / Mountain Province, and Brendon Joseph, a new Sargeant of Arms officer.  Both are very excited to be part of BIBBAK-Illinois, and we are excited to have them on board.

Lynn Fackayan                        Brendon Joseph

As much as we are excited about the year(s) to come in BIBBAK-IL, we are also aware of the challenges that lie ahead.  For us to turn our Vision 2011 into reality, we need the help of all our members. Our membership registration is at an all-time low with less than 20 registered families.  This is a drastic reduction from past years.  The low census could be interpreted as bad news for most, but the true Igorot character within our core group of leaders refuses to surrender to any such colonization of pessimism, and therefore, are committed to turning things around by reviving the BIBBAK-Illinois community.  We hope you will join us.

Please, if you haven't registered yet, please do so by registering at our "Registration" page.

Kicking off 2011 with Meetings & Gatherings

Yesterday's 1st Executive Board Meeting was a success thanks to the enthusiam of the officers who attended, the hospitality of the Jose family and of course - the food and tapey!  A renewed spirit to make 2011 a great year for all those involved in BIBBAK-IL was truly present throughout the entire meeting.  We are really excited and look forward to working together to achieve our goals.

However, we cannot do it alone.  WE NEED YOUR HELP.  There are so many Igorot brothers and sisters in Illinois who do not know about our organization or have not been active for whatever reason.  Please share our enthusiasm with them by referring our website to them and inviting them to our 2011 Kickoff Gathering & Potluck on the 29th of this month.  We originally scheduled it for the 22nd, but realized this isn't enough time to properly prepare for the event (Please see our Events page for more information).

Lastly, please remember to register or re-register yourselves in our new registration form (See Registration page).  We need to know how many people are still active with BIBBAK-IL and how many new people want to join.

Discussing the Purpose of BIBBAK Illinois



Not a Note Missed (Secretary hard at work)

A Moment of Thought

A small birthday celebration for two of our members

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome to 2011 everyone!  We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's Eve.  We are excited to move into the new decade with a renewed spirit.  Our goals for the oncoming year will soon be set at our first upcoming meeting.  This meeting will be an "OPEN" meeting similar to a "Town Hall" meeting where we look forward to the feedback of everyone.  Anyone interested in supporting BIBBAK-IL are encouraged to come.  This includes existing members, non-members who plan to become members, supporters and friends.  The date will be on Saturday, January 22.  The location will soon be announced (see Events tab for updates).

Meanwhile, stay connected and help us connect with more of our Igorot brothers, sisters and supporters.  Here are recommended ways to do this:

1. Join our network by becoming a "Follower" of our blog (see right sidebar)
2. "Subscribe" to our posts and/or comments (see right sidebar)
3. "Share" it on Facebook or Twitter (see right sidebar)
4. Copy & paste our blog address and email it to friends
5. For those with blogs of their own: add a link to ours
6. Any other way you can

Please take the time to answer our surveys (see left sidebar)