Vol.1 No.1 - Festival Review

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WV’s 153 Plus Festivals & the Visayan Exuberance

The regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Western Visayas lists a total of 153 festivals for the year. Among them are the more popular Ati-atihan of Aklan, Dinagyang and Paraw Regatta of Iloilo, Binirayan of Antique, Ang Pagtaltal of Jordan Guimaras, Mangahan of Guimaras Province, Masskara festival of Bacolod City, Panaad of Negros Occidental and the Hilaran sa Sinadya of Capiz. The number does not include another 21 new or revived festivals recently forwarded the DOT twenty of which are from Negros Occidental. These festivals are spread in the region’s 6 provinces, 116 municipalities and 16 cities.

A festival usually lands in the DOT calendar if it has been successfully mounted for at least three consecutive years or if the local government concerned reports it to them backed by a resolution of inclusion to the DOT calendar from the appropriate local legislative council. And when this happens, the festival is accorded the usual promotion activities that the DOT undertakes to bring local and international tourists in.

According to Rene Cortun of DOT in Western Visayas, when a festival is reported to them for inclusion in their calendar, they require from the organizers a synopsis of the festival but hardly do they comment on the content or basis of the festival. They only suggest on the proportional activities and lend support in developing collaterals to market the festival. Cortun says their list of festivals is updated each year because very often, the dates of the festivals are moved for one reason or another.

The months of January, March, May and December have the highest number of festivals in the region for 2005.

At the WOW festival held in Intramuros two years ago, Western Visayas topped the DOT scoreboard in terms of visitors and gross sales. This can be gleaned from the fact that most of well known festivals in the country are from the region and the presence of contingents from each of these festivals in Intramuros gave the region a boost.

Commissioner Felipe de Leon of the National Center for Culture and Arts (NCAA) however says more of the region’s qualities. De Leon says the Visayans are known for their “exuberance” and this is reflected in their festivals. “they are good in music, they are “malambing,” they would go more celebrating life than focus on the struggle for survival.” De Leon says this is manifested in their arts or in the way they do things. In simple things like peeling a mango for example, De Leon observes that Visayans do the outward motion while other groups like Ilocanos do it inward.

A word of caution though. De Leon says in developing festivals, one should go beyond the economic agenda if we have to put more sense to Philippine tourism. “Culture – tradition is the soul of a people, this is the one that shapes a people’s character.”

De Leon says organizers should research well. “Whether their festivals are based on historical events or legends, it is important that they look at a community’s shared cultural experience. If legends bind them as a people and inspires and empowers them to move on as a people, then this could be an anchor to a festival.”

De Leon stressed: “If festivals are meant to preserve and promote one’s culture and tradition, then these festivals should mirror the character and identity of the very place that celebrates it.” (jmc)

‘Festivals should mirror the character and identity of the place that celebrates it.’

WV Magazine, Volume 1, No. 1, May 2005