Palayag Festival is a Thanksgiving Celebration for Seafaring Blessings

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PALAYAG FESTIVAL

Guimaras Palayag Festival Photo from: http://www.oceanislandtravel.com/home.asp?aid=933

THE LOCAL government of Buenavista in Guimaras celebrated the weeklong 8th Palayag Festival that will run from January 9-18, 2015. Now on its 8th year, Palayag Festival celebrates the town’s development and cultural heritage.

The festival is the town’s major tourism event and is expected to draw in foreign and local tourists. Palayag showcases the town’s seafaring tradition as well as it is a thanksgiving for all the blessings the town has been receiving. It also honors the town’s different sectors for their contribution in Buenavista’s development.

The Palayag Festival will open this morning with a parade along the town’s major streets. Reyes will lead the opening of the agro-trade fair and exhibit and food festival. Spectators can also enjoy the Drum and Bugle competition to be participated in by private and public schools in Buenavista. The festival also features various sporting events including basketball, dart, taekwando, aquathlon, softball, drag race, etc. that are open to all interested participants. To showcase the island-province’s most valued crop, there will be a Mango-Eat-All-You-Can during the festival’s two-day culmination on January 17 and 18.
On January 18, barangays will showcase their floats for the Palayag Festival Competition while tribes will outperform one another during the Hubon Street Dancing contest.

Coronation of Mutya ng Buenavista 2015, fireworks display, and live band at the food festival area will cap the celebration. Read More: https://thedailyguardian.net/community-news/palayag-festival-kicks-off-today/

Photo from: http://guimaras.weebly.com/palayag-festival.html

The Palayag Festival is celebrated every 3rd Sunday of January by the municipality of Buenavista. This cultural festival makes maximum use of the rich cultural tradition of the oldest municipality of the province. The presentation of songs, dances and musical tableau depicts the various influences Buenavista has been subjected to. It is celebrated in honor of the town’s Patron Saint Sr. Sto. Nino. “Palayag” marked a new footprint during the 2008 Buenavista Centennial Celebration. They defined “Palayag” as to sail through “Layag” using water vessel. This is really indeed a Kinaradto-form of sea travel.

Swift “Paraos,” connected Iloilo and Guimaras. In 1850’s, Iloilo was opened by Sir James Bowring, a British Governor of Hongkong as an international port. Negros then has no good harbor for bigger ships so they used Guimaras as transship point to Iloilo. This gave an explanation why Jordan Wharf has the sugar bulk. While Jordan wharf was prospering, Buenavista was still enjoying with its sandy shore. Read More: http://www.buenavistaguimaras.gov.ph/index.php/tourism/festivals/palayag-festival

Photo from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtmgR8BT0ic