Colorful Festivals to Watch in Leyte Part 2

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COLORFUL FESTIVALS IN LEYTE

One of the beautiful and fast-advancing provinces in the Visayas region, Leyte is famous for its various historic, vibrant, and highly entertaining festivals. Aside from their significance to the local residents of the area, these festivities also serve as serious attractions for local and foreign tourists alike. For years, many people continuously develop a great deal of interest to all these special occasions, which are characterized by colorful parades, eye-catching dance presentations, and other significant activities. Overall, these festivals are very important because they reflect the values, traditions, as well as diverse cultures of the different people living within the area. Read More: http://leyte.islandsphilippines.com/leyte_festivals.php

Binaybayon Festival

Photo from: http://ptd.com.ph/blog/festival-events/binaybayon-festival/

Incepted in 2007 with Baybay’s proclamation a city, the festival is a thanksgiving ritual influenced by the traditional Waray curacha dance. It is also inspired by the townfolk’s agrarian way of life with the street dances depicting the various stages of the planting and harvest seasons.

According to traditional accounts, fete traces its origins during the arrival of the Spanish colonizers in the late 1500s, when they asked a native about the name of the place. Thinking he was being asked about the nearby river and beach, the local replied “ang suba kaynunuk nagabaybay sa Sta. Kudos” which literally means “the river is meandering through the village of Sta. Cruz”.

The Spaniards were only able to pick up the word “baybay” thus they named the place as such.

The festivity also showcases Baybay’s strides in economy, environment, tourism and governance. Read More: http://www.choosephilippines.com/do/festivals/3983/baybay-leyte-celebrates-binaybayon-festival/

Buyogan Festival

Photo from: https://thrutheeyesoftheviewfinder.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/the-mother-of-all-fiestas-aliwan-fiesta-2012-photos/

When watching the Buyogan Festival, you will be experiencing one of the best 10 festivals in the Philippines. The realistic costumes and artistic choreography focus on the movement and appearance bees or “buyog”. The highlight of the festival would be the parade of brightly colored dancers performing a choreographed bee dance. There would also be costumed children buzzing around in a bee-like manner. There would also be other participants joining in the parade tattooed with tribal henna designs on their bodies and faces to represent their town’s ethnic history.

The festival coincides with the feast day of the town saint, St. Francis Xavier, usually around the last weekend of August. Read More: https://triptheislands.com/events/the-buyogan-festival-of-abuyog-leyte/

Karatong Festival

Photo from: https://allaboutfiesta.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/karatong-festival-of-dulag-leyte-september-7/

Dulagnon or the people of Dulag communicate using a bamboo or “karatong” in ancient times. It is used to warn of impending danger and to drive away any intruders to the town.

When Moro invaders ravaged the town of Dulag to get the Golden Bell, the local folks where moved by the miraculous Nuestra Señora del Refugio to the top of the karatong to save the town of Dulag.

The Karatong Festival has joined the various festival competitions in both regional and national arena, such as: the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festivals of Festivals in the province of Leyte, the Sinulog Festival in Cebu City, and the Aliwan Festival in Pasay City, Metro Manila. Read More: http://www.choosephilippines.com/do/festivals/3285/karatong-festival-dulag-leyte