On 1 December 2024, the 45th Seminar for Understanding ICH and workshop, co-organized by Sakai City and IRCI, was held at Sakai City Museum Hall. This is one of the series of seminars coordinated by Sakai City for its citizens to promote the importance of ICH, and IRCI cooperates in such activities. In the 45th seminar, an IRCI Associate Fellow, Ms NAMIKI Kanami, served as a lecturer to talk about the Philippine folk dances and facilitate a dance workshop.

Introducing the dances of the Maranao people, one of the Muslim communities in Mindanao, southern Philippines, known for their Singkil dance, she explained how the Maranao dances were created and adopted as part of the tradition, cultural heritage, and identity of both the Philippines (predominantly Christian) and the Maranao communities, how the dances have been continuously recreated and developed, and how the practice and transmission of these dances have been influenced by the increasing awareness about Islam in the Maranao community.

In the workshop part of the seminar, participants tried some unique movements of Lapay Bantigue folk dance that imitates the movements of seagulls (lapay in the local language). The dance depicts a simple daily life of fisherfolk in Masbate Island and their merry-making. At first, some participants were puzzled by unfamiliar movements of the dance, but they were able to dance to the music and hold their own poses with smiles together in the end.

There were 54 attendees, which exceeded the expected venue capacity. It was a great pleasure for IRCI to provide an opportunity for participants to deepen their understanding of ICH not only through seminars but also through hands-on experience.