Binatbatan Festival 2022: A Week to Reminisce and Honor
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In comparison to the 1st celebration of Binatbatan Festival of the Arts during the new normal, the upcoming 2nd one is obviously going to be better. Considering that Vigan City is currently free from the virus, people are now starting to have the lives they once had before the pandemic. With minimal restrictions, it is believed that the celebration this year would be better than last year. People will get to watch the Street Dancing, and enjoy the activities the City will hold during the festival.
To begin with, Binatbatan Festival is celebrated annually to commemorate the Abel Iloco hand-loom weaving industry. One of the most known attractions and activities during the festival is the Binatbatan Street Dancing: which is linked to the Abel Iloco craft of Vigan. The dance depicts the process of beating cotton pods with bamboo sticks to release the cotton fluff known as batbat from its seed. This festival began in 2002 with the goal of showcasing this ancient weaving technique that predates the arrival of the Spaniards.
Due to the pandemic, the celebration of the said festival from the past year was limited. However, since the situation here in Vigan is not that dangerous anymore, the upcoming celebration of the Binatbatan Festival this year is expected to be remarkable. Not only the locals are hyped, but also the tourists that would come watch the marvelous performances of the Ilocanos during the street dancing and showdown. It is certainly a MUST that the city would not let the people down.
Nevertheless, the upcoming celebration might not live up to everyone’s expectations, a festival is a festival. At the end of the day, we celebrate to commemorate culture and to have fun with interacting with our neighbors. Afterall, a festival is not complete without having fun. We deserve at least a day of peace and happiness despite the pandemic. A day of rest and enjoyment is deserved by everyone. Thus, we must leave our problems behind (for now) and celebrate a day full of joy and jubilation.
References:
Rapadas, B. (n.d.). Binatbatan Festival 2011 | Binatbatan Festival 2011 Location…. Flickr. Retrieved April 24, 2022, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/blrapadas/5841713238Rapadas, B. (n.d.). Binatbatan 2010 | The festival began in 1993 in an effort to…. Flickr. Retrieved April 24, 2022, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/blrapadas/4570838099
Binatbatan dance. (2017, May 11). Manila Standard. Retrieved April 24, 2022, from https://manilastandard.net/gallery/news-in-photos/236341/binatbatan-dance.html
Guquib, E. (2017, June 18). [Vigan] ► Binatbatan Festival Street Dancing 2017 Blog Coverage. EDMARATION #TownExplorer. Retrieved April 24, 2022, from https://www.edmaration.com/2017/06/vigan-binatbatan-festival-street.html
This was very nice! I love how you have just defined a festival is, a time to forget about your problems and worries and have fun. Like any other festivals in the City of Vigan, the Binatbatan Festival let's us promote our culture and let people shine with their talents during the festivities. This was a very informative and inspirational blog, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHi there! Binatbatan Festival was celebrated in the New Normal and it’s really amazing, despite of what we are facing up to these days. It’s celebration was conducted and it is really a great accomplishment, coz it was celebrated in a nice and fabulous way. And I love the way you post it, coz it reminds us Bigueños of how great we are in the midst of pandemic.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun and reminiscing watching performances from different schools again after two years of pandemic. I'm glad we are currently free from the virus as well. In this way, we are more free and have minimal restrictions yet we also must not abuse these. We still have to stay safe wherever we go. Keep up the good work!
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