Visibility of Minority Language for Ethnolinguistic vitality

LL as Identity and Cultural Markers in the Festival Context

Language Policies and Display Practices in a Festival Context

In Gorter et al. (2012b), we argued that laws, decrees, promotional campaigns, other rules and
regulations, and other measures help to shape the linguistic landscape.

The local government aims to promote using Basque on signage

o uncover details of the implementation of explicit language policies, and also to find out more about
covert language policies, ideologies and hierarchies that can be ‘hidden in plain sight’ (Amos, 2017:
94).

It is a theme that leads to critical questions such as ‘Who owns the public space?’ and ‘Who has the
right to write in the pub- lic space?’ (Shohamy, 2019: 31). Not only are signs important but also the
people as actors, who produce, react to and interact with the linguistic landscapes they inhabit.

later publication Backhaus (2010: 362) concluded

he visibility of English is so salient that one may say multilingualism in Tokyo’s linguistic landscape
is for the most part Japanese-English bilingualism’.

The suffix of the word land-‘scape’ can be linked to a series of differ- ent combinations with scape as
an alternative or as additional dimensions of linguistic landscapes. Some authors have taken the work
by Appadurai (1990) on globalization into consideration because he proposed five scapes as
dimensions of fluid and shifting global cultural flows: ethnoscapes,

Introduction: Captivating Studies of Language in Public Spaces 21

mediascapes, technoscapes, ideoscapes and finanscapes. Pennycook and Otsuji (2015) mentioned
inspiration from the geographer Porteous who proposed a list of scapes based on the senses (allscapes,
dreamscapes, etc.). In linguistic landscape studies related to education, ‘schoolscape’ (Brown, 2012)
has gained traction, and others have proposed ‘education- scape’ (Vandenbroucke, 2022). Spoken
language is included in ‘sound- scape’ (Scarvaglieri et al., 2013) and online studies have been referred
to as ‘cyberscape’ (Ivkovic & Lotherington, 2009). Other examples are as follows: body inscriptions
and tattoos form a ‘skinscape’ (Peck & Stroud, 2015); for tourists there is a ‘linguascape’ (Jaworski &
Thurlow, 2010); an ethnography about odors is on a ‘smellscape’ (Pennycook & Otsuji, 2015); the
study of graffiti deals with ‘graffitiscape’ (Wachendorff et al., 2017) or ‘graffscape’ (Gonçalves,
2018); and the study of ethnic restau- rants is on ‘foodscape’ (Abas, 2019) or ‘semiofoodscape’
(Järlehed & Moriarty, 2018). Other uses are ‘refugeescape’ (Moriarty, 2019), ‘memory- scape’
(Moore, 2019b), studying share-bikes in Sydney leads to ‘bikescape’ (Pennycook, 2019), and
Thurlow and Aiello (2007) used ‘semioscape’ to analyze the tail fin designs of airplanes. A contrast
has also been drawn between ‘cityscape’ and ‘ruralscape’ (Muth, 2015). Finally, an extension from
the public to the private sphere leads to ‘homescape’ (Boivin, 2021). In sum, the literature on
linguistic landscapes abounds with an endless number of possibilities of ‘scapes’.

The use of Ilocano as Ethnolinguistic and Identity Markers

 [4] Blommaert, J. (2013). The ethnography of communication: An introduction (3rd

The Banglot festival is one of the sub-festivals at the Baddek ni Aring festival.

It is a cultural event of the festival that features a culinary competition involving all

the barangays in Aringay, La Union. At the festival, the primary signage used for the

event is shown in image 24. The visual semiotic elements (Kress and van Leuween

2006) of the signage feature cultural symbols. In the signage, colorful banderitas

(fiesta banners) represent the vibrant nature of Filipino festivals. The use of

banderitas serves to emphasize the festival celebration. It symbolizes celebration,

festivity, and community solidarity. This was apparent throughout the event as the

locals enjoyed the celebration. Locals unite to prepare a variety of dishes. After the

culinary competition, the community gathers for a meal together.

Image 24
 Abuyo is also shown in the signage (see image 24). It is located at the center of

the signage. Therefore, positioning it in the middle emphasizes its significance.

Abuyo, known as Labuyo in other regions of northern Luzon, refers to Red Junglefowl

in English. It is found as a wild bird throughout the Philippine archipelago in suitably

forested areas (Parkes 1962). According to Mallari (2018), a long time ago, when

Aringay had still an abundance of forest plants, there were also many Abuyo. Abuyo is

still found in some parts of Aringay such as in Barangay Manga and Barangay

Gallano. Now, abuyo is a symbol of culture and tourism in Aringay (Mallari 2018).

Abuyo is a beautiful creature; thus, it embodies the beauty of Aringay's culture and

tourism. Therefore, it is found on the logo of Cultural Heritage and Arts council of

Aringay which is shown below (See Logo 2). The 24 tails in various colors of the

abuyo represent the 24 barangays of Aringay, including Alaska, Basca, Dulao,

Gallano, Macabato, Manga, Pangao-aoan East, Pangao-aoan West, Poblacion,

Samara, San Antonio, San Benito Norte, San Benito Sur, San Eugenio, San Juan East,

San Juan West, San Simon East, San Simon West, Sta Cecilia, Sta. Lucia, Sta Rita

East, Sta Rita West, Sto Rosario East, and Sto Rosario West. The position of the

Abuyo is upward. It symbolizes the town's dedication to progress and development.

The upper part of the aguyo, where the tails are interconnected, symbolically signifies

unity and a common aim within the community i.e. to progress together for the town.
 Logo 2

Finally, the signage in image 24 highlights the significance of banglot

(milkfish) as a symbol of livelihood in Aringay. Thus, the activity is a great

opportunity to highlight the different cooking styles and dishes found in Aringay,

specifically using banglot as the main ingredient. This includes both traditional and

modern ways of cooking milkfish. This is a significant event of the festival that

attracts both residents and visitors. This not only makes the festival experience

exciting, but it also encourages cultural appreciation for various cooking techniques.

Moreover, the local Banglot culinary competition also highlights the diverse talents in

the community and fosters camaraderie among its residents. This communal

celebration of banglot (milkfish) festival mirrors the town's culinary identity and

strengthens the social bonds that make the town progressive (naraniag).

Below are some images of the activities of the Banglot festival.

Image 25 Image 26
 Image 27

Moreover, the locals display a creative use of the Ilocano language, which is

also connected to the town's legend of Aring (see image 28). "Banglot ni Aring" can

be directly translated as "Milkfish of Aring". This helps establish a sense of identity by

establishing the milkfish is from Aringay through its connection to the town's legend.

Therefore, it reflects the enduring legend that defines the town which is also

associated with the festival.

Image
Lastly, the local vendors used the term28Banglot Dulao (see image 29) to boost

their marketing strategies. This term resonates with the local culture of the

community. It goes beyond being just a label. Banglot Dulao represents the local

identity and expertise linked to the local business. The residents also use translation to

serve as a bridge for attracting tourists. Translating the word makes it easier for a

wider audience, especially tourists looking for distinctive experiences. This strategy
 maintains the local appeal and presents the product as an attractive and culturally

specific choice for tourists in the area. The inclusion of local terms and their

translation maintains a connection to the local authenticity while also being easily

recognizable for visitors.

Image 29

At the festival, it prominently includes the distinctive logo of Aringay on the top-down signs,

which symbolically depict the livelihood off Aringay.

"[Landry & Bourhis, 1997] discuss how linguistic landscapes can be used to represent and
transmit a community's heritage and traditions through signage and other symbolic markers."
Logos are central to brand identity, and their presence in the landscape acts as a form of
communication
Culturally-Loaded Icons: This term underscores the connection between these symbols and
specific cultural references
Interdiscourse refers to the interplay between different social semiotic systems within a
specific context. Interdiscourse emphasizes the interplay of various sign systems in a specific
context, including visuals like logos and symbols .
Another prominent symbol in the logo is the bougainvillea. Bougainvillea is

the municipal flower of Aringa (Mallari 2018). The prominence of bougainvillea in

the local landscapes has solidified its status as an iconic symbol of identity in Aringay.

The photos, captured by the Province of La Union, below showcase the beautiful

bougainvillea in the town of Aringay, located at Aringay plaza.

Moreover, the Provincial Ordinance No. 001-2002, declares bougainvillea as

the official flower of La Union province because of it beautiful, strong and flexible

characteristics which is similar to the character traits of the people of La Union. Thus,

bougainvillea has also been named as the official flower of the province.

[4] Hornberger, M. H. (2008). Variation in language planning: Focus on minority language

Backhaus, P. (2007). The linguistic landscape and the symbolic construction of urban space:
A case study of Montreal. International Journal of Multilingualism, 4(1), 5-24.

Van Leeuwen, T. (2000). Discourse and practice: New tools for analysis. Oxford University
Press.

Another notable logo is the logo of the Municipal Tourism Council. The logo

of the Municipal Tourism Council, similar to the town logo of Aringay, represents the

primary sources for livelihood in Aringay, which are agriculture and fishing. This is

shown by the representation of a field and carabao, as well as the depiction of the sea
and fish. Moreover, this logo also incorporates two significant symbols: the

bougainvillea and the centennial tunnel, the cultural heritage of Aringay.

Bougainvillea is the municipal flower of Aringay (Mallari 2018). The prominence of

bougainvillea in the local landscapes has solidified its status as an iconic symbol of

identity in Aringay.

Aringay is also known for its Centennial Tunnel, which is a prominent

attraction and one of the primary tourist destinations in the town. The Centennial

Tunnel or Salapac Tunnel is a cultural heritage of Aringay. It is located below the

carabao in the logo. This is also visually displayed in one of the signage during the

festival as shown in image 13.

and strengthened under American occupation, making it over a century old. The

construction of the Aringay tunnel started when World War I broke out in Europe in

1914 (Sotelo 2014). According to the Provincial Government of La Union (2018), the

500-meter tunnel was constructed during the American colonial era for Philippine

National Railways (PNR) trains bound for Baguio City. The Commonwealth

Government later abandoned it due to the approaching Second World War. Amid the

Japanese occupation, the tunnel served as the Japanese Imperial Army's headquarters

due to its resilience to US airstrikes. The Roman numerals (MCMXIII) are still

visible today, and the tunnel remains sturdy. Overall, the deserted PNR track spans

about 40.4 kilometers from Aringay town to Baguio City. This historical site is a

representation of Aringay's cultural heritage (Sotelo 2014). Preserving and promoting

this not only showcases the town's distinctive identity but also ensures an enduring

legacy for future generations.

In general, the discussions confirm that the two major logos of Aringay

accurately represent the c livelihood and cultural heritage of Aringay. The logos can

be seen in one of the signs in Aringay (See image ), which are displayed during the

banglot festival, a prominent sub-event of the Baddek ni Aring Festival. The sign will

be further elaborated upon in the following section.