Tags: Festivals and Fiestas, Indigenous Culture
By Anna Valmero
PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN—The long stretch of Rizal Avenue here was literally bursting with color during the “Sarayotan sa Dalan” or streetdance that caps off the annual Baragatan festival.
Dressed in colorful indigenous materials, the dancers represent the original inhabitants of the province – the Palaw’an, Batak, Cuyonon, Molbog, Agutaynon, Cagayanen, Tao’t Bato and Tagbanua tribes.
The streetdance, a fitting finale to the 10-day festival, celebrates the ethnic diversity of Palawan, a province made up more than 1,700 islands. Palawan is also celebrating its 109th foundation anniversary this year.
It was humid with a slight drizzle but this did not dampen the festive spirit of Palaweños and tourists alike who gathered last Thursday. Different groups danced their way to a stage set up at the Cory Aquino Park beside the provincial capitol building.
“The Baragatan is a festival of every Palaweño, gathering together as one. This is an opportunity for all Palaweños to converge, meet and showcase the different agricultural products and cultural traditions in the province,” said Governor Abraham Khalil Mitra.
Baragatan is derived from the Cuyonon word “bagat” meaning “to meet”. Mitra added that the “sarayotan” and other activities of the Baragatan festival attract first-time and regular tourists to pay a visit to Puerto Princesa before heading for the pristine beaches in Sabang and the world-famous Underground River.
Jessa Juntilla, a Palawan native who works for the provincial information office, noted that festival is one of the biggest – if not the biggest – event in the province.
“It was as if all activities at home or in the office stop as thousands of people line up the streets to get a glimpse of the dancers and cheer up friends and family members during the two-hour dance-parade prior to the competition,” she said. There were five groups that entered the competition this representing different towns.
The town of Magsaysay – whose dancers wore Maria Clara dresses made of buri and pandan, and were accompanied by traditional instruments made of wood and animal skin – won first prize.
It was my first time to watch the event and I myself could see why the traditions of these ethnic tribes remain at the heart of every Palaweño.
It was a grand coming together of Palaweños as one multi-faceted community, a proud race showing that there is indeed harmony in diversity and that preserving cultural traditions while living in modern times is still possible.
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