Talabukon Festival Tells the Story of an Old Religious War

TALABUKON FESTIVAL

Photo from: http://www.wowromblon.com/features/festivals/do-you-believe-in-genies-join-the-talabukon-festival/

Talabukon Festival is a religious celebration the municipality of Looc is known for, which is held during the 3rd week of April to honor St. Joseph and to celebrate a genie who was stated to once save the town folks. During the town fiesta, there will be a street-dancing contest that is participated by almost all the barangays. Through artistic choreography, display of dancing skills, props and colorful costumes, the replica of Talabukon and the field demonstration (re-enactment of the myth) are the categories of the competition. When you join this festival, take note of the Tribu Poblacion, Barangay Punta (Tribu Pontana) and Tribu Cadag-cadag. These are the 3 tribes to watch, as they always dominate the festival. Read More: http://triptheislands.com/destinations/things-to-see-in-looc-romblon/

Photo from: https://romblonnews.net/index.php/features?start=10

Talabukon Festival is a religious celebration in the municipality of Looc, Romblon province, Philippines, held during the 3rd week of April. It is held both to honor St. Joseph and to celebrate a genie who once saved the townfolks, which in the process of protecting the people inspired the inhabitants to name their place “Looc” (choke).

Early inhabitants of the islands which have Malay (from the present day Panay) and Negritos (from the present-day Mindoro) origins peacefully lived in present-day island known as Tablas Island. The group of villagers who occupied the southwestern part of the island like all other inhabitants of the island are well aware of notorious group of people called Moros for plundering, ransacking, and towns and villages all over. This is their greatest fear because they had no organized group of men to protect the community which are majority small in size as compared to the Moros.

Alarm would rise up when nearby villages or signal from the outer part of the bay (Looc Bay is partly enclosed by land with an opening facing southwest) that strangers are coming (through large bancas which are called Vintas) fearing that those are Moros. Read More: https://tresae.wordpress.com/2018/11/09/romblon/

Photo from: https://triptheislands.com/destinations/things-to-see-in-looc-romblon/

Every summer, Looc celebrates the town fiesta with Talabukon Festival as one of its main highlights. Usually held during the third week of April, the festival coincides with a week-long celebration that honors St. Joseph, the town’s patron saint. The festival is a commemoration of some sort to a local legend about a giant who once saved the inhabitants of the town from the marauding Moros. The unlikely hero defended the town by choking the pirates, thus the town’s name “Looc” which literally means “choke.” Read More: http://pinoywanderingboy.blogspot.com/2013/03/talabukon-festival-how-giant-saved-town.html