Bambanti comes
from an Ilocano word for Scarecrow–the mythical figure depicted by a human-shaped mannequin– often seen standing in
the middle of farms meant to scare sparrows and crows from casting destruction
on crops. Unfortunately, when super
typhoon Lawin hit Isabela in October
2016, no amount of scarecrows could save the province’ agricultural produce as the
violent force of nature battered houses, highways and destroyed every rice,
corn and agricultural crop land in its path – leaving in its wake, a trail of
destruction only surpassed by typhoon Yolanda
in recent memory.
I learned about this fact from
Vice Governor Antonio Albano as he welcomes the members of the media, while witnessing the festive vibe of Bambanti Village near Isabela’s
provincial capitol in Ilagan City. I was instantly amazed at the resiliency and
uplifting spirit of the people of Isabela which was on full display that day.
“Barely
three months after [Lawin], we are so proud to showcase Isabela as a province
that has already rebounded. If you actually go to those places, you will not
see that it is hit by a Category 5 typhoon that reached up to 350 kilometers
per hour.” Albano tells us.
A series of festive events
highlighting the province’ culture, local products, cuisine, arty flairs and
dancing skills dominated the week-long festival which was dubbed this year as “Isabela para sa Daigdig” (Isabela for
the Universe).
Giant Bambanti (Scarecrow) Display
14 of Isabela’s 34
municipalities and 3 cities participated in the Giant Bambanti display contest.
Towering scarecrows ingeniously designed and heaving of rich colors soared
stunningly over the Bambanti village.
Marveling at each of the giant bambantis
erased the prevailing image in my mind, of frightening scarecrows and replaced it
by the impressive set of vibrant figures teeming with creativity - portraying
various themes such as the Miss Universe and Voltes V. The municipality of
Roxas was adjudged with creating the best giant Bambanti.
Street Parade and Dance Showdown
Philippine festivals isn’t
complete without the street parade and dance showdown. Even though one has seen
similar spectacle at Sinulog, Dinagyang and the Ati-Atihan, the contingents who
performed this year brought out something new.
Even as a past spectator of
numerous festivals, I was still immediately wowed by the energy of each
contingents as they danced to the beat of this year’s theme song – which also
blended perfectly with the vigor of the performers. Concluding from what I
witnessed, I now know the reason why the Bambanti Festival has won the Aliw Awards for Best Festival Practices and Performances two times already. They
simply know how to astound and deliver an unforgettable show. Quirino took home
the top prize in the Street Dance category while Alicia won the Dance Showdown.
Agri-ecotourism Booth Showcase
These stalls are found in the
same area where the giant bambantis are displayed and features all of the
municipalities’ local products such as wine, kakanin, organic produce, souvenir
items and other native materials.
Making the rounds of each booths gave me the
opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and commercial activities
of the various municipalities of Isabela. San Agustin came away with the best
Agri-ecotourism Booth award.
Festival King and Queen
Each town contingent also
paraded their Festival King and Queen
to the boisterous cheers of the crowd. Parading with flamboyant and stylish
costumes, every pair rocked the stage with their appealing look. The young
bachelor and pretty lady from the municipality of Roxas took home the first
place.
Inabraw Cook-off
Another interesting side show
of the festival is the Inabraw
cook-off. Masterful cooks from participating municipalities laid out their
kitchen skills in coming up with their own version of this traditional Ilocano
dish.
Inabraw is a stew dish that
integrates vegetables, quash and grilled fish. One can compare it to pinakbet because of the mixture of local
vegetables but the similarity ends there. Usually served accompanied by
organically grown red rice, the Inabraw appears to provide an appetizing feast.
The town of Tumauini – where one of my favorite Spanish Colonial Churches is
located – bagged the first prize.
Best Hip-hop B-boy, Musical Concert and Fireworks Display
Following the best Hiphop Bboy
Dance contest won by the graceful and acrobatic bunch from Santiago City, young
artists from ABS-CBN opened the grand finale show of Bambanti Festival.
The
musical concert reached fever pitch once the super talented quartet of Kyla,
KZ Tandigan, Yeng Constantino and Angelina Quinto took center stage.
The whole Ilagan Sports Complex shook each time one of them belts out a high
note. After treating the viewers – which could easily number to ten thousands,
the four gifted singers retired from the stage just as the spectacular
fireworks starts shooting up light paths in the sky. Amidst the fiery illuminations
lining up the sky, the 2017 Bambanti Festival closes in grand fashion, as it
bookmarks the struggles of the past year and ushers in a renewed hope for a province
surging back to economic might.
