Bakte: Creating Socio-Cultural Identity among Students of General Emilio Aguinaldo National High School towards the establishment as a Traditional Dance of Imus

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

According to local people's stories, Bakte dance is believed to have existed in the pre-Hispanic era. Since the millennials are still doing it, the researchers wanted to discover the impact of dancing Bakte in developing a socio-cultural identity, which in the future can be marked as a traditional dance of the City of Imus. The study is delimited to evaluate and assess the creation of the socio-cultural identity of the Bakte Dance. Grade 10 students of General Emilio Aguinaldo National High School were selected as respondents.

METHODS

Respondents are randomly selected from the grade 10students of General Emilio Aguinaldo National High School. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative method and interpreted the perceived data through a direct interview, consultation, trend analysis, and documentation review. This is anchored through the triangulation method.

RESULTS

The culture bearers and practitioners are farmers and drug dependents of all ages. At present, the practitioners are mostly youth and students. Bakte dance competitions are often included during fiestas. Bakte is characterized as a dance for survival, caters unity and harmony, free, able to feel the inner self. Although Bakte is a product of the illegal activity, the researchers believe that the phenomenon’s positive outcome is being brought to existence. In relation to the geographical location and nature of work of Imuseños, the people experience the dry season. Movements of the dance are patterned to the engagement between farmers and the circumstances to live.

DISCUSSIONS

Bakte is an eye-catching and entertaining dance in Imus City. No studies have been made about this. Therefore, researchers challenged themselves to start a study about Bakte which can be helpful to Imuseños. Bakte represents the Imus people, in terms, of history through the years when farmers experience lean and dry months. Without the development irrigation system, farmers experienced scarcity of food. Thus, Bakte is not culturally grounded; it does not merely represent the people of Imus. Bakte brings significance to the people of Imus, represents hard work, resilience, unity, harmony, friendship, and faith to God. Based on the result of our study, we believe that there is no justification for the researchers to propose Bakte as a traditional dance of Imus.