The Golden Arrow at the Cloud

The Golden Arrow of Mt. Makilkilang and Other Cordillera Folktales will be launched June 30 at 2 p.m. at Mt Cloud Bookshop at Casa Vallejo, Upper Session, Baguio City. The event will include story-telling and a performance for children by the Aanak di Kabiligan Community Theater Group.

Published by the Cordillera Green Network (CGN), the book is a collection of folktales from Kalinga, Benguet, Apayao and Mt. Province. These stories were collected during Youth Eco-Summits around the Cordillera, in which local children turn stories told by their grandparents into theater productions through community workshops facilitated by the CGN, a non-stock non-profit organization committed to establishing a wholesome Cordillera environment by working closely with local communities.

The tales impart lessons like taking care of the environment and protecting its resources. These lessons are learned through the tales of the brave and clever Gawan and how he fought a monster snake to save Gammilayan; the curious Kankanaeys who discovered the edible fern Paco; the powerful yet generous Ari Moran who led his people to plant rattan; and the strong Bugan who journeyed the river from Sabangan to Kalinga inside the belly of a snake.

Mt Cloud Bookshop aims to bring the written word to life in Baguio City through various literary activities such as author's talks, poetry slams and readings, story-telling sessions for kids and small workshops. The bookshop is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.