Abel Iloco: Pride and Treasure of the Bigeunos

Abel Iloco is one of the prides and treasure of the Ilocanos in Northern Luzon. Every first week of May, we celebrate Binatbatan Festival to commemorate the Ilocano weaving industry mainly in Vigan City. The word binatbatan came from the word batbat in ilocano which means the first process in making the abel wherein the kapas or cotton balls from the tree were separated from the seeds using a pair of bamboo stick. Meanwhile, a Filipino Folk Dance is made inspired by the batbat and made as a feature of the festival. And this is the origin of the Binatbatan Festival, the aim is not just to promote the Abel Iloco but also to give pleasure to tourists and Biguenos.

Back when I was a kid, we always join and participate in the celebration of Binatbatan Festival even though we live few kilometers away from Vigan. There are many events and activities partook in the festival. One of my favorites is the Binatbatan Street Dancing, I love watching people dance along with loud instruments and joyful music. The participants are wearing their costumes made with abel and holding a pair of bamboo stick as their props. I can see in their faces that they’re having fun as they wear a big smile all throughout the event, even though it’s undeniably hot outside and tiring, they still try their best to make people happy, and make the day very memorable like any Binatbatan Festival. Beside this, there are also contests provided by the city government such as the On the spot photography contest, Traditional Games, Carabao Painting Contest and many more. There are also concerts by the celebrities who are invited to join and give entertainment not only to the Biguenos, but also to the other citizens who live in places around Vigan City. 

For the first time amidst pandemic, we are now able to celebrate festivals and gatherings now that the covid-19 cases are slowly decreasing. Celebrating Binatbatan Festival isn’t wrong, as long as we should always observed and follow safety protocols to avoid the spreading of the virus for our own personal safety. We should always wear masks and disinfect when going out in places, especially in a large crowd. Take a shower immediately after going home and make sure you are clean before mingling with your family members.

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