by Mariel L. Tay-eo
“We don’t need to go back; we have to see beyond, because we are carrying the future itself.” – Edgar Banasan, EDAYA co-founder.
EDAYA grew from this belief in the importance of cultural practices and community values such as unity, generosity, mutual respect, and concern for others. Its roots trace back to the kindness and generosity Banasan witnessed during childhood, especially the spirit of sharing. However, he observes that this practice is slowly fading from everyday life, and he hopes that future generations will continue to value and uphold it.
The Leaves that Fall Away
Banasan remembers accompanying his mother when she harvested vegetables. Their labba, a traditional handwoven indigenous basket, would be filled with produce. Instead of keeping everything for their family, his mother would give vegetables to the households they passed along the way. These were simple acts, but they showed how people looked after one another. Looking at how people live today, Banasan notices a change in this way of thinking.
“Nu obserbaren tayo tadta, sumabsabali iti mindset, nagbalin nga greedy because of material things. Kayat tayo amin dagitoy nga material ket we have.” (When we observe people today, their mindset has changed. They have become greedy because of material possessions, wanting to have everything.)
For Banasan, the growing attachment to material possessions reflects the gradual loss of values that once strengthened relationships within communities. He explained that tangible and intangible cultural heritage go hand in hand. While traditional objects, crafts, and practices give culture a visible form, the good values behind them give it deeper meaning. These values remind people that culture is not measured by what they own but by what they practice, share, and pass on to others.
Edgar Banasan shares childhood memories of generosity and unity, recalling how these values have gradually faded over the years. Photo credit: Hagard H. Wayan.
The Bamboo Shoot That Takes Root
The lessons learned during childhood became the roots of Banasan’s deeper understanding of community. Like a young bamboo shoot that draws strength from its roots, these values continued to shape his character and guide his actions toward others. For him, culture is not simply something people inherit from the past. It is something they carry in their hearts, practice in their daily lives, and pass on to the next generation. As he emphasizes, culture is a way of life.
EDAYA Crafts and Design Studio emerged to provide a space where these values could grow and reach more people. Like bamboo shoots that push through the soil and take root, the studio aims to help these values flourish, spread, and continue to nurture future generations.
This purpose is also reflected in the name EDAYA, which carries three meanings connected to culture, personal identity, and the hope that good values will continue to grow.
“Actually, EDAYA has three meanings. It comes from the root word ‘Edjaya,’ a Kalinga term meaning the spirit from the East. It also connotes ‘Kabunian ed daya’. We believe that the Supreme God is from ‘ed daya’ or ‘edjaya’ (spirit from the East),” Banasan explained.
The second meaning is personal. EDAYA combines the names Edgar and his partner and co-founder, Ayaka Yamashita, a Japanese researcher and cultural producer trained at Harvard, reflecting their shared identity. This cross-cultural collaboration bridges traditional Cordilleran indigenous knowledge with international academic research and social design. Ms. Yamashita’s expertise in design research complements Mr. Banasan’s master-artisan indigenous lineage, creating a unique synergy where oral traditions and ancestral craft skills are codified, documented, and presented to global audiences without losing their cultural soul.
The third meaning comes from the Japanese word Eda, which means branch. As Banasan explains, “Kasla nga branch, agtultuloy kuma diyay good values and culture nga kasla sanga ngay nga agspread” (Like a branch, may good values and culture continue to grow and spread in different directions).
The inviting ambiance of EDAYA Crafts and Design Studio. Photo credit: Mariel L. Tay-eo.
EDAYA’s journey started in 2010 and was officially registered in 2012, when they were still based in Tuding, Itogon. Eventually, Banasan’s journey brought him to Camp 2, Twin Peaks, Tuba, Benguet, where he began developing the place that would become the EDAYA Crafts and Design Studio. Although he had acquired the property in 2012, it was only during the COVID-19 pandemic that he found the time to turn his plans into reality. With many activities put on hold, he used the opportunity to work on the space, and construction began around 2020 to 2021.
Today, EDAYA has become more than a creative studio and residence. It also welcomes visitors who want to experience bamboo craftsmanship through workshops and accommodation. Among its visitors were around 30 architecture and engineering students from the United Kingdom who stayed there in July and August and worked alongside Banasan to build a bamboo canopy. What once existed only as an idea gradually became a place where people could learn, create, and share their skills.
L: A glimpse of EDAYA’s bamboo pavilion, where craftsmanship, nature, and meaningful connections come together. R: EDAYA co-founder Edgar Banasan and interviewer Mariel L. Tay-eo stand beneath the bamboo canopy built by international students. Photo credit: Hagard H. Wayan.
The Rhizomes that Reach Beyond
Bamboo’s significance at EDAYA extends beyond its use as a material for making crafts and useful objects. It is also a reminder of the relationship between people and nature, encouraging communities to recognize and appreciate the resources they often take for granted. Through this understanding, EDAYA established a celebration that gives bamboo its own place in the community and reminds people of its importance in everyday life.
“Aside from workshops, actually ada ngay diyay Bamboo Day. Isu ngay ti maysa nga main nga i-celebrate ti EDAYA, Cordillera Bamboo Day. We started in 2015. Ta amin tayo met ket we use bamboo, but we just disregard it after using. So, we just give thanks, even for two minutes.” (Aside from workshops, we also have Bamboo Day. It is one of the main celebrations of EDAYA, called Cordillera Bamboo Day. We started it in 2015 because we all use bamboo, but we often disregard it after using it. Through this celebration, we simply want to give thanks, even if only for two minutes.)
From left to right: Susanne Lucas, CEO of the World Bamboo Organization; EDAYA co-founder Edgar Banasan, holding the Bamboo Innovation and Creative Excellence Award presented by DTI-CAR, alongside his partner and co-founder, Ayaka Yamashita. Photo credit: Hagard H. Wayan.
The celebration is held annually around September 22 and features activities such as bamboo craft-making, musical instrument-making, bamboo planting, and clean-and-green initiatives. It also coincides with the observance of World Bamboo Day on September 18 and Philippine Bamboo Month.
Edgar Banasan teaches participants how to play the Tongatong, a traditional bamboo percussion instrument from Kalinga, during Cordillera Bamboo Day in September this year. Photo credit: Hagard H. Wayan.
Banasan’s involvement in the creative community also extends beyond EDAYA. He participated in Baguio’s creative activities, including the Ibag’iw Festival. Among his contributions was a bamboo installation featuring 1,000 chimes along the Forest Bathing Trail at Camp John Hay.
One thousand chimes whisper through the trees along the Forest Bathing Trail at Camp John Hay. Photo credit: EDAYA official website.
Foremost, EDAYA’s vision reflects this commitment as a creative bamboo multidisciplinary collective working in design, art, education, and community engagement. It seeks to reshape the relationship between people, nature, and society by embracing local wisdom and working toward sustainable futures.
Educational Policy & Curricular Integration
From an Educational Management and Essentialist philosophy perspective, EDAYA offers a profound blueprint for community-based educational frameworks and elementary school curriculum integration. The intangible cultural values embodied by EDAYA- unity (ub-ubbo / innuyad), mutual respect, environmental stewardship, and generous sharing- can be systematically embedded into the Department of Education’s MATATAG Curriculum, specifically within Values Education (Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao) and Social Studies (Araling Panlipunan).
Educational leaders and school administrators can utilize EDAYA’s living studio model to institute contextualized experiential learning modules. By replacing rote memorization of cultural facts with hands-on craft heritage workshops, outdoor environmental gratitude rituals (such as Cordillera Bamboo Day), and intergenerational storytelling, elementary schools can cultivate rooted, value-driven learners who carry indigenous wisdom into modern ecological challenges.
Methodological Note: Qualitative Inquiry Protocol
This qualitative narrative portraiture was developed through a field study conducted at EDAYA Crafts and Design Studio in Camp 2, Twin Peaks, Tuba, Benguet. Primary data were gathered using a semi-structured interview protocol with co-founder Edgar Banasan, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The narrative inquiry was augmented by participant observations during site walk-throughs, field notes capturing spatial ambiance, and photo-documentation of indigenous bamboo structures and artisanal artifacts. Data were analyzed using thematic narrative analysis to map Mr. Banasan’s lived experiences and cultural philosophy onto the organic growth metaphors of bamboo.
Photo credits: Mariel L. Tay-eo and Hagard H. Wayan.
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About the Author & Academic Editor
The Author:
Mariel L. Tay-eo is a dedicated elementary teacher committed to nurturing learners and promoting meaningful educational experiences. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Management at Baguio Central University. Guided by the philosophy of essentialism and her appreciation of culture and heritage, she is inspired to write about EDAYA and its efforts to preserve cultural knowledge and pass on good values.
*Edited and Enhanced with Advisory Annotations by Genevieve Balance Kupang.
Dr. Genevieve Balance Kupang is Dean of the Graduate School, International Relations Officer, and Professor of Qualitative Methods of Research and Dissertation Writing at Baguio Central University. She served as the academic mentor for this article.
