Viva Vigan Binatbatan Festival of the Arts is celebrated yearly from the last week of April to the first week of May. It was first organized in 1993 to coincide with the Tres de Mayo Festivities before it was introduced in 2002. Binatbatan dancing is connected to Vigan's Abel Iloco craft. The dance depicts how cotton pods are beaten with bamboo sticks to release the cotton fluff called batbat from its seed. The name "binatbatan" was derived from the Iloco term "Batbatin".
The Festival's week-long celebrations are followed by a lot of exciting events such as a street dancing competition wherein the participants use "Abel" costumes and sway in their original panagbatbat dances, a fashion show kalesa parade, carabao painting, and other activities for artistic people that will surely the families will enjoy.
Because of the pandemic, a lot of people can't attend the celebration compared to the previous years celebrating it because of the fear and lockdown in an effort to stop the COVID-19. But we shouldn't let this thing forget the value of the historic town, instead, we should be proud of our "World Heritage City", let's promote, preserve and protect our own traditions and cultures.
Reference:
Viva Vigan Festival of the Arts. Retrieved June 3, 2022. https://www.vigan.ph/attractions/viva-vigan-festival-of-the-arts.html#:~:text=Binatbatan%20dancing%20is%20connected%20to,the%20arrival%20of%20the%20Spaniards.
[Vigan] Binatbatan Festival: A Festival of Cotton and Fabric. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
Viva Vigan's Festival of Arts 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
2009 Viva Vigan Street Dancing. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
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