BINATBATAN FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS: A FESTIVITY OF COTTON AND FABRIC, WOVEN BY MIRACLE AND MAGIC

        Celebrating festivals here in the Philippines offer people a chance to exhibit their rich culture and pay homage to the history and patron saints. Tourists around the world would visit the Philippines to experience the country’s grand festivals that without a doubt, makes it more fun in the Philippines. For many decades, celebrating festivals has been a part of the Filipinos’ culture; the celebrations are brightly colored, massive, lively, and full of pomp and circumstances. It is no surprise that each province has its own distinct Filipino Fiesta, which they are very proud of.

        Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, also known as a heritage city, is a city that has been preserved in time. It has the street plan of the traditional Hispanic checkerboard style. Its main alley, Calle Crisilogo, has structures that are built of brick and wood with a steeply pitched roof reminiscent of traditional Chinese architecture. Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well-preserved example of a European trading town in East and South-East Asia. With all these characteristics, Vigan has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, the city’s vintage architecture is as impressive as its townspeople. Local artists thrive in keeping the city vibrant during the Binatbatan Festival of the Arts, which runs from the last week of April to the first week of May. The aforementioned festival features vibrant colors that envelop, promote, and preserve the industry of the local fabric known as Abel. The name of the festival was derived from the Iloko term batbatin, which means to separate the cotton balls from the seeds of the local fruit kapas sanglay.

          The Binatbatan Festival has its origins in the history of Vigan’s Abel Weaving Industry, which existed long before the Spaniards arrived to colonize the Philippines. Down the memory lane of the city, it is mentioned that the festival is commemorated in honor of Apo Lakay of the Simbaan a Bassit as an act of thanksgiving for having saved Vigan from a deadly epidemic in 1756. As the years went by, the festival has evolved from just a simple commemoration into one of the most vibrant and significant festivals to Bigueños in today’s era, as it focuses on the remembrance of Apo Lakay’s deliverance as well as promoting the local fabric, Abel Iloko.

      The main highlight of this week-long celebration is the Binatbatan Street Dancing and Showdown Competition, in which participants wear Abel (woven cloth) costumes and sway in their original panagbatbat dances. The street dancing begins in front of the Vigan Cathedral and ends in Crisologo Street, where old houses are festooned with Abel Iloko decorations in preparation for the House Decorating Contest. In this festivity, the street dancers perform gracefully and merrily with their colorful props and costumes made with Abel as they proudly shout “Viva Vigan Binatbatan Festival!” to a magnificent choreography inspired by the weaving process of Abel Iloko. We can truly say that the festival celebration is very enjoyable, entertaining to watch, and provides pleasure and delight to the audiences.

          For the past two years of the pandemic, there have been major changes in the celebration of the Binatbatan Festival of the Arts — the festivity has been different from the accustomed tradition. Throughout the one-week celebration of the festival, even though performers and dancers could not experience the loud and energetic applause of the audiences like the old times, they still joyfully and cheerfully waved their batbat and continued to gracefully perform while adhering to the health protocols such as social distancing and wearing face shields. Other activities such as the Abel House Decor Competition, Abel Iloco Fashion Show, Pasagad Dressing, Boklan Art Competition, Carabao Painting, Santacruzan, Food and Trade Fair, and Gigs and Concerts were also able to push through this year’s celebration thanks to the low and declining cases of Covid-19.

            The days are colder, the nights are longer, and the Covid-19 lockdown restriction remains but at its lowest alert level, which means that festivals and other gatherings are already permitted. While the good old days of the celebration of the Binatbatan Festival were far better than it is today, Bigueños still made this a memorable one filled with joy, happiness, and merriment despite the drastic change. Indeed, this year’s celebration truly felt like it was woven by a miracle. Despite the challenges brought to us by the pandemic, the happiness that was cut short, and the moments that were taken away from us, we still got to experience the beauty of the Binatbatan Festival, the beauty of our culture; the beauty of Vigan City.

Online Sources:

Anonymous, 12Go Asia, Retrieved on June 26, 2022

https://12go.asia/en/philippines/festivals/

Jane Dacumos, Vigattin Tourism, Retrieved on June 26, 2022

https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Viva-Vigan-Binatbatan-Festival-of-the-Arts-2012/

Pia Ranada, Rappler, Retrieved on June 26, 2022

https://r3.rappler.com/life-and-style/travel/ph-travel/33398-vigan-weekend/

Bryan Rapadas, Flickr, Retrieved on June 26, 2022

https://www.flickr.com/photos/blrapadas/5841713238/

Bryan Rapadas, Flickr, Retrieved on June 26, 2022

https://www.flickr.com/photos/blrapadas/4570838099/

Eazytraveler, Flickr, Retrieved on June 26, 2022

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eazy360/7150742547/