MIMAROPA Festival 2017: Street Dancing Competition
Day 3. This is the highlight of the festival, the first day was just an appetizer and the second day was just a little break to sip a glass of water after you choked (lol). Well, we went to town as early as one ‘clock in the afternoon, yes one hour before the street dancing competition to find a good place to see the whole parade. You know, being early is a way better than being late and unable to see the visitors and contenders. We took our grandmother with us, we went to the ground of OSCES to see what’s happening, we seated and waited a bit and then we return to the shop of a family friend to wait for the parade.
To wait for something is somehow boring but exciting when it is worth it. The street dancing started at 2 ‘o’clock as scheduled, unlike the first day there are a lot of people in the street. It seems everyone was now informed about the most awaited MIMAROPA festival street dancing.
The first tribe was from Sibuyan, Romblon featuring their “Pag-alad Festival” it is commemoration of the transfer of the town of Azagra (Punta Kawit) to Sitio Pag-alad because of the scarcity of water. It also celebrates in thanksgiving the festivity of Our Lady of Immaculate Concepcion.
The female tribe dancers alternately carrying a flower and a basket were dressed in a bright green tops and yellow skirt which was cut like a flower petal, their heads were adorned with feathery head dress, and they were followed by the beautiful shemales in their bright green cloths carrying a piece of bamboo shoots that serves as water basin and at their back were the male dancers on their white patterned with violet and yellow long shorts and tops with them was a net and a large fish and as expected the drummers were the last one in the tribe. The dancers movement isn’t new, it is the typical movement of street dancers in Kanidugan festival, left, left and right, right. The sounds of their drum is a trademark too that they are indeed from Romblon, it sounds festive and happy that when you heard it, you will feel like dancing with them.
The next tribe was Tribu Bitianon from Narra, Palawan featuring their “Palay Festival” honoring the town’s palay farmers, their tribe was headed by three people dress in monkey costume and a person in white bird dress followed by their male in red pairs of regional dress and female dancers wearing colorful dresses which is dominant with yellow, red and brown. The female dancers move and dance joyfully despite their large dresses and large basket on their back.
The third tribe was the delegates from Marinduque featuring their “Bila-Bila Festival” which is Butterfly Festival in English language. The festival was celebrated in Boac Marinduque every December 8 and as you noticed unlike any other festivals in the Philippines which usually honor patron saints, Bila-bila festival celebrates the life cycle of butterflies. The butterfly farming is one of Marinduque’s unique industry and this festival helps to promote the province as the butterfly center of the Philippines.
As expected the delegation from Marinduque was headed by the morions. As we all knew, Moriones Festival is a popular celebration in Marinduque during Lenten season.
The other dancers were dress like Aeta while the rest are in their green butterfly costumes, pink wings for females and blue wings for males, flowers and gold ornaments dominate their costumes. I have noticed the butterfly dancers were wearing a thick nude lipsticks, their makeup made them like goddesses of butterflies.
The fourth delegation was from Calapan featuring their “Kalap Festival” which is celebrated every March 21, it is the city’s official festival. It was originally derived from the tagalog word Kalap means to gather, during the old times people gather woods to provide warmth and to cook food. The term was then use as the name of the festival to show the culture and history of Calapan City. It was launched on 2009 and is still successfully being held every year.
Well, if you would like to see a dancing log don’t look any further because the delegates from Calapan just showed everyone that even logs can dance well. With them were dancers dress in sea blue diving suit paired with a fish, I think they are the gatherer of fishes together with them are females dresses in Maria Clara gold dress.
If butterfly and logs can dance, birds can dance well too in the street this was proven by Tribu Tandikan from Puerto Princesa Palawan featuring “Tandikan Festival” named after the local term of the grandiose bird with colorful feathers and the symbol of the city of Puerto Princesa, the peacock.
What’s admiring was the person carrying a large feather at his back, I wonder how did he make it without getting a back ache.
Their tribe was made by males dress as Aeta hunters, local people dress in traditional dancers clothing. Well, being in the heat while watching the street dancing is energy draining but the Talandikan dancers dressed on blue and brown peacock costume made everything refreshing, the wind from their wings is an oasis in the dessert. Wasn’t able to take good photos of them because when they passed by, you have to move far from the street or else you will eat their feathers (lol).
There is a rainbow after the rain so after being refreshed from the cold wind of Talandikan dancers here comes the “Bahaghari Festival” from Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro. The festival is a colorful commemoration of the importance of the rainbow in the history of the town of Pinamalayan.
According to an old story, the early settlers of this town came from Marinduque. While on this way to Mindoro on their bancas, they encountered turbulent weather and lost their direction. They prayed to God Almighty for deliverance and guidance, whereupon the weather cleared and a rainbow appeared on the horizon. The crew shouted “ipinamalay” meaning- it was made known.
They followed the direction of the rainbow and landed at what is now Brgy. Lumangbayan and established the first settlement which they named Pinamalayan. The rainbow became the historical landmark of the town. – source: ormindoro.gov.ph
Just like a rainbow their costumes were very colorful in nature, the head dresses of their pretty female dancers looks so yummy and jelly but they are actually made of foams. When there’s rainbow there will be a sun and of course beautiful fairies enjoying an amazing day.
Everyone has been amazed with the different tribes that went by but it turns out the best is yet to come, every one was shocked and left in awe when a “Tribu Mangyan” from Occidental Mindoro owns and dominated the street. Mangyan is an indigenous group found in the island of Mindoro.
I was amazed and admired their huge confidence to walk and dance in the street of Odiongan on their bare feet and wearing just a bahag showing their butt cheeks so I gave them a round of applause because I can’t fathom nor see myself wearing just a tiny clothing down there like what they’ve just done, I might need to take a many many large huge drums of confidence (hahaha).
A bahag is the traditional or tribal dress of Mangyans, they wear loincloth and a shirt they call balukas. Tadyawan is one of the eight ethnic group of Mangyans in the island of Mindoro and Tadyawan Festival was also called “Mangyan Day” correct me if I am wrong.
As everyone has been amused with “Tribu Mangyan” and they couldn’t get over on what they just see. It was late to realized that they are the last tribe at the street dancing, I even overheard someone saying “bitin”, which means wanting for more.
When the end of the parade ends we left and went to another location to take more photos because our current location wasn’t good enough since it was against the sun. We decided to wait at the old market beside one of the old hardware in town, as expected there are a lot of people waiting for the street dancers. It took a long time before we could even see the head of the parade, people are getting anxious and impatient that they went over the white line with this a police from Mindoro blurted out that people in Odiongan are hard headed (lol). When the parade ended the huge flock of people went to the sports complex where the MIMAROPA festival showdown will take place, I will blog about it in separate posts, check it out soon.