The Viva Vigan Festival of Arts is celebrated during the first week of the month of May. It was started in 1993 by the Save Vigan Ancestral Homes Association, Inc. (SVAHAI) to promote awareness of the value of the historic town, which was hoped to strengthen resolve to preserve and protect this heritage site. For the past sixteen years, the festival of arts has been successful in drumming up attention for Vigan’s ancestral houses.
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Binatbatan is the process of
beating cotton pods to remove the seeds for Abel weaving. Which locals
interpreted into an occupational dance with the use of two sticks called ”batbat”.
Binabatan street dance is one of the main attractions during the week-long
celebrations.
The Feast of Apo Sto. Cristo
Milagroso is celebrated with a mass at the Simbaan a Basiit on May 3rd. This is
a very important religious holiday in Vigan because the Apo is claimed to have
saved the city on numerous occasions. Visitors are also encouraged to fit in
the calesa parade, ramada or traditional games, comedia or stage drama, Santa
Cruzan parade, abel fashion show and house decoration, singing contests and
beauty pageants, and other exciting events like the Amazing Heritage Race into
their six-day Viva Vigan experience. They can also take part in religious
ceremonies or attend exhibits, horticultural shows, and commerce and food
festivals.
However, the pandemic became a big
challenge for us to celebrate Binatbatan Festival of Arts. Despite having this
obstacle, I observed that the spirit of this festival still became strong. In
which, it didn’t make this obstacle rule over it. In short, amid the pandemic,
the spirit of this festival still went up, rose up, and strove up.
Reference:
The pictures are from
the Facebook page of Vigan City - 'Vigan City PH'.
May 08, 2022.
https://www.facebook.com/vigancityph/posts/pfbid02bX71nhHarrmANwA5PZ1pKkZ3WMCpcMaDU5tRxNx6884ssVWgGkSHkPCAArzkVJuTl
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