The Joyful Cheers of The Binatbatan Festival

    Every year on the first week of May, in the heritage city of Vigan, the locals celebrate the Binatbatan Festival of Arts. It is a thanksgiving for Sto. Cristo Milagroso or "Apo Lakay" of the Simbaan a Bassit for saving Vigan from an epidemic in 1756. Since then, Bigueños commemorate this heroic act on May 3 or "Tres de Mayo." The word "binatbatan" is an Ilocano word that describes the procedure of beating cotton pods with bamboo sticks called "batbat" to produce the local fabric, Abel. This meaning is brought over to the dance festival, where dancers imitate the beating of the cotton with the two sticks while wearing Abel costumes. Along with other festivities, Binatbatan has evolved into the city's most colorful and most celebrated festival. 
    Like every other Filipino, the Bigueños take religious celebrations seriously. With most of the population being Catholic, you can commonly see packed churches for Misa Concelebrada. For one week, the city is busy with activities and contests such as Abel decorating and fashion, carabao painting, boklan, sports, street dancing, and other recreational activities. But since the pandemic began in 2020, the Bigueños had to endure not celebrating 2 Binatbatan Festivals properly. Despite this, they still experienced the festivities, but of course, it wan't done in big groups of people. The drastic change didn't erase the Bigueños burning passion for the city. Numerous youth and adults continued to join these competitions in an effort to showcase their talents. This shows that no matter the hurdle, we Bigueños will never fail to leap over them. 
    This year 2022, the city is finally on alert level 1, meaning it is permitted to conduct mass gatherings, such as festivals. As an enjoyer of the festival myself, I can confirm that the Bigueños adore any celebration that the city has and wholeheartedly participate in them. It indeed is a tapestry of culture and arts woven by the countless generations of Vigan. Overall, the Binatbatan Festival of arts is a great way for people to showcase their talents and appreciate the rich culture of the city. Even in times of sorrow and suffering, may we continue to be festive and commemorate the heroic acts of others. 

References:
Vigan City: "Binatbatan Festival of  the Arts 2019". Retrieved on April 14, 2022.
Generosepomelo: "Viva Vigan Binatbatan Festival of the Arts". Retrieved on April 24, 2022.
Pinterest: Retrieved on April 24, 2022. https://bit.ly/3xPzD7x
Facebook: Retrieved on April 24, 2022.https://bit.ly/3k5NVZx 
Rappler: Retrieved on April 24, 2022. https://bit.ly/3MsXJJq 

Comments

  1. RoanneMay 26, 2022 at 9:25 AM

    Good day Aubrey! As a fellow Bigueño, I totally agree with you. Every festival held in the city is highly anticipated by people especially Bigueños. Despite the pandemic, we continue to celebrate and enjoy the festival in our own ways. Nice work!

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