“Tres de Mayo”

The Naturales of Vigan chose the year 1883 as “Tres de Mayo” in honor of Apo Lakay of the Simbaan a Bassit, who saved Vigan from a deadly epidemic in 1756. It has since evolved into the most colorful and significant festival in Bigueos, focusing on the commemoration of Apo Lakay's deliverance and the promotion of the local fabric, Abel Iloco. It emphasizes agriculture with its Karbo festival, Calesa Parade, and Santacruzan, in addition to the street pageantry of the Binatbatan Street Dancing.

 

Former Mayor Eva S. Medina continued the group's campaign to promote Vigan in 1995, giving birth to the Viva Vigan Festival of the Arts. Binatbatan Festival, however, was established in 2002 to honor one of the industries that kept residents alive: abel Iloco hand-loom weaving.

 

The arts festival has been successful in drawing attention to Vigan's ancestral houses for the past sixteen years. The festival has also succeeded in promoting other aspects of Vigan with the help of national and local agencies, as well as media, arts, and non-governmental supporters. The Binatbatan Festival celebrations, which include a street dancing competition, follow the first-day commemoration. Binatbatan dancing is linked to the abel Iloco craft of Vigan. The dance depicts the process of beating cotton pods with bamboo sticks to release the cotton fluff known as batbat from its seed.

 

The Feast of Apo Sto. Cristo Milagroso is celebrated with a mass at the Simbaan a Basiit on May 3rd. This is a very important religious celebration in Vigan because the Apo is said to have saved the city on numerous occasions. The Karbo Festival, which began in 2005, is another important festival within the Viva Vigan festival. Its goal is to highlight the people who work in Vigan's agricultural industry and their contributions. The festival's name is derived from the words carabao, a Philippine water buffalo used for farming, and bokel, which means seeds.

 

Visitors are encouraged to fit in the calesa parade, traditional games, comedia, Santa Cruzan parade, abel fashion show and house decoration, singing contests and beauty pageants, and other exciting events into their six-day Viva Vigan experience. They can also take part in religious ceremonies or attend exhibits, garden shows, and trade and food fairs.

 

https://pia.gov.ph/features/articles/1021193

https://www.vigan.ph/attractions/viva-vigan-festival-of-the-arts.html