As a spectator many times over of numerous Philippine festivals in the past, I still overflowed with enthusiasm each time I witnessed a new one. After experiencing the Ati-Atihan three times and the Sinulog twice already, I had had a more than enough dose of fun from those twin festivals honoring the Santo Niño. However, I was always game to immerse in the different vibe of other lesser-known festivals in the country. Camarines Norte’s Busig-On Festival was not just previously unknown to me, it also had an interesting backstory involving a widely retold local story. Therefore, during my eight-hour bus ride to the province, I already visualized the kind of frenzy atmosphere that awaited me.
Busig-On Festival: A Retelling of an Epic Bicolano Tale | Camarines Norte
The Epic Tale of Busig-On
Busig-On Festival was celebrated every first week of September in Labo, Camarines Norte. As a town lavished by the abundant waters of Labo River, it followed naturally that all commercial and even cultural activities of the town would center on their revered river.
This was also another reason why a contemporary story was written centering on a mythical character named Busig-On. The name of the leading protagonist was derived from the Bicolano word “Busig”, which meant “water”, and “on”, which translated to “plenty”. Thus, the name Busig-On directly translated to “plenty of water” in reference to Labo River.
The epic tale written by Dr. Carlos C. Galvez charted the exploits of Busig-On and Princess Maraya. Despite coming from two combatant tribes, the two fell in love with each other. After they got married, their warring tribes forged a peace agreement.
Soon, the couple bore a son named Tarik-Kuduok, who inherited the leadership role when his parents died. A great famine dried much of the land, and to save his people from further misery, Tarik summoned spiritual guidance from the departed Busig-On to help his people.
Unlike most epic tales, the epic of Busig-On dished a happy ending as the vast dry land was soon filled by water. Natural pools formed until they grew bigger and flowed downstream to fill other tributaries. Not long after, inhabitants enjoyed an abundant source of livelihood through fishing and a much-needed source of farming irrigation.
That body of water gave birth to the Busig-On river, which was then the main tributary of Labo River.
A Laid-back but Vibrant Street Parade
What it lacked in matching the bounteous energy of the Ati-Atihan, Sinulog, and the Dinagyang Festivals in the Visayas, the Busig-On Festival made up for with an easy-going revelry while retaining the colorful characteristics of other popular Philippine festivals. The crowd was evenly scattered through the long sidewalks, and it seemed everyone could dive right into the action and partake in the street carousing—much like the Ati-Atihan but on a smaller scale.
As a photographer, I savored the laid-back celebration as I was able to take decent photographs of the performers up close. One could feel that the Busig-On Festival was every bit a small-town fiesta. It teamed with its own unique allure, bursting with an intimacy that seemed to draw the locals tightly bonded with each other.
Like in most festivals in the country, the drumming beats were still as loud as they could be, the costumes popped with colors, and the choreography was wildly entertaining. One could say Philippine festivals were all “same-same but different”, because as one pinpointed several similarities, one could also sense a myriad of variances.
As I watched the performers adorned with flamboyant costumes perform the interpretive dance of the Epic of Busig-On through the streets, I picked up a thing or two about some of the town’s traditions like the act of courtship, fish harvesting, and their forever act of homage to the Busig-On river. Because as long as the never-ending streams coming from the Busig-On river would remain, the resolve of the townsfolk to meet any challenges that came their way would also remain steadfast. What better way to celebrate that kind of resiliency than through a madly pulsating festivity.
