To mark town's culture & arts body 1st anniv: Symposium on Bayambang's "birth" set

When was Bayambang established as a political or civil administrative unit? Finding the answer to this question is one of the missions of the Municipal Council for Culture and the Arts or MCCA created last year by Mayor Ricardo M. Camacho.

The search will be launched with a symposium on November 12.

This year, Bayambang celebrated what is counted as its 396th fiesta, obviously meaning that the town is as "old" as that. Many however say that this reckoning was based only on ecclesiastical records.

An executive order creating and composing a research committee to pinpoint as near as possible the "birth" of Bayambang is now being drafted.

The MCCA is mandated to:

1. Preserve the indigenous,historical, cultural and artistic heritage of Bayambang to enable the people to establish and enhance their collective identity and dignity as a community.
2. Provide Bayambangueños the opportunity to relate present life with that of the past that would lead to a much better future.

The body is also tasked to preserve the areas among others, involving arts, music, dances, literary pieces, drama, cinema, visual arts and historical accounts.

At present, the MCCA is in the thick of researching on and collecting artifacts and historical records and necessary materials that will be preserved in the Bayambang Museum.*