Binatbatan Festival

This festival featured the binatbatan dance. This festival is a tribute

to the Ilocanos of the Old. Binatbatan is an Ilocano dance that depicts the
first step in the Abel Iloko weaving process. They use two 18-inch long
bamboo sticks. The cotton pods have to beaten with these two bamboo
sticks to separate the seeds from the fluff. Binatbatan is the beating
process. That is why some other dancers hold their bamboo sticks and beat
the floor of the streets to make a good beating sound while the rest dances.
The street dancing honors and gives tribute to the Abel Iloko, the
traditional woven cloth of Vigan that has sustained its economy from the
Pre-Spanish to the present.
Francisca Reyes Aquino

On March 9, 1899, Francisca Reyes-Aquino, the country's pioneer researcher on traditional

Philippine folk dances and music and known as the mother Philippine folk dancing, was born in Lolomboy,
Bocaue, Bulacan.

Francesca was the eldest of the three children of Felipe Reyes and Juliana Santos. She had her early
schooling at the Meisic Elementary School, Tondo Intermediate School and Manila High School in Tondo,
Manila. She obtained her High School Teacher's Certificate (HSTC) in 1923, her Bachelor of Science in
Education degree in 1924 at the University of the Philippines (UP) and her Master of Arts degree in 1926
also at the UP.

In 1922, while still studying at the university, she worked as student assistant at its department of
physical education. After graduating, she served there as instructor of physical education, then assistant
physical director and, finally, as director in charge of women. In 1927, Dr. Jorge Bocobo; then UP president,
sent her to the provinces to research on folk songs and dances. As a result, the university was able to exhibit
Philippine dances at the Philippine Carnival Auditorium.

In 1929, as a UP fellow, she took graduate courses in physical education at the Sargent College of
Physical Education, Boston University, where she received her certificate in physical education in 1931.
She also attended the summer session at Harvard University in 1930. Upon resuming her position at UP as
Physical director for women in 1930, she continued her research.

In 1934, Mrs. Aquino became a member of the UP president's advisory committee on dances and
songs. Wishing to save the native dances from oblivion, Dr. Bocobo gave the committee full moral and
financial support. Together with Antonio Buenaventura and Ramon Tolentino, her first husband who died
in 1939, Mrs. Aquino was commissioned to collect and record the country's songs, dances, music, costumes,
musical instruments, and customs.

Every summer, she would go to the remotest barrios in the provinces, gathering her material directly
from the old natives who used to sing and dance during their younger years. While she studied the dance
steps and movements, Buenaventura recorded the folk music and Tolentino took still and moving pictures.
Most of the old folks were willing and eager to dance before the visitors, but some had to be bribed with
food or money before they would agree to perform. Just to be able to contact probable sources, she
sometimes had to go up the mountains on horseback, or cross-rivers and streams. Once, the members of the
research team almost lost their lives when their banca was tossed by strong, heavy waves in the open sea.

In her researches, Aquino was able to gather about 50 basic steps and 200 folk dances of various
modes and colors. She discovered that people living near the sea had dances about fishing and rowing, those
in the coconut regions performed dances using coconut shells, and those in rice-producing provinces had
dances depicting various stages of planting and harvesting rice. She also observed that the natives in
economically self-sufficient areas had gay and livelihood dances, while those in places where livelihood
was hard, dances were sad, slow and even mournful.

When Bocobo was appointed Secretary Public Instruction, he requested the transfer of Mrs. Aquino
to the Bureau of Education. There, she became supervisor from 1940 until 1947, when she was appointed
superintendent of physical education to the Department of Education. She held this position up to her
retirement in 1964. While serving as supervisor at the Bureau of Education, she had all the opportunity to
actively promote the revival of folk dances through the public schools. She organized the bureau’s Folk
Song and Dance Club which was composed of public school teachers and high school students serving as
its adviser with Serafin Aquino, who became her second husband in 1946. The club conducted weekend
rehearsals and programs in different schools to drum up interest in Philippine folk dances among their
faculty and student populations. In no time at all, folk dances became regular part of their physical education
program, with their private schools later following suit.

Aquino organized the Philippine Folk Dance Society, a non-profit cultural organization, and once
served as consultant to the world-famous Bayanihan Dance Company. Today, folk dances are performed
not only for enriching our cultural heritage but also in promoting tourism and international goodwill.

For her great effort in researching and popularizing Philippine folk dances, she received the following
honors:

 An honorary doctor of science in physical education degree from Boston University in 1949;
 The Republic of the Philippines award of merit "for outstanding contribution toward the
advancement of Filipino culture" in 1954;
 An honorary doctor of humanities degree from Far Eastern University;
 A certificate of award from the UNESCO National Commission;
 A presidential citation for distinguished service to the 10th World Jamboree from the Boy Scouts
of the Philippines in 1959;
 The Rizal Pro Patria Award in 1961; and
 Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service in 1962.

Aside from doing field researches, Aquino also wrote books, 15 in all, and various articles on folk
dances. In 1959, the Philippine Public School Teachers Association elected her as representative to the
World Conference in Teaching Profession in Washington, D.C.
 In her mid 70’s, she received the highest honor any Filipino artist could hope for – the National Artist
Award, which was conferred on her on June 12, 1973. She was the first woman to be conferred this
prestigious award.

The last two honors she received were the Karangalang Plaridel, given by the provincial government
of Bulacan in 1974, and a certificate of recognition from the YWCA of Brooklyn, New York.

Francisca Reyes-Aquino died on November 21, 1983. She was given a state funeral and buried at the
Libingan ng mga Bayani. She left behind a daughter, Mrs. Cecilia T. Martinez, an only child by her first
marriage.

In 1991, the Sentrong Pangkalinangan ng Pilipinas celebrated the Francisca Reyes-Aquino

Commemorative Year and, in February of that year, the CCP Rehearsal Hall was named Bulwagang
Francisca Reyes-Aquino.
Examples of Occupational Dance
Buti Buti

(Jolo, Sulu) The Badjao, known as sea gypsies, are born, raised, and die on boats called lipa or buti.
The Badjao have a remarkable affinity with their "home boat" that a dance was created in its honor.
Deviating from the traditional pangalay, the buti-buti is an occupational dance that mimics the daily
activities of men rowing, diving, casting and pulling nets, harvesting and bringing home the catch while
women use rattan baskets to gather shellfish. The accompanying song or Leleng, describes the buti-buti's
gentle sway, similar to the graceful walk of the badjao lady.

Pasiquin
Pasiquin is about a fisherman trying to catch bangus, shrimps and sugpo with tha use of a sibot (fish
net), not knowing it has big hole in it. This gives him a difficult time because the fish keeps slipping out

Pabirik
Pabirik Festival is a festival that recognizes the gold mining in the territory of Camarines Norte. This
festival obliges the 400th year Foundation Anniversary of the town's Patron Saint which is the Our Lady of
Candelaria. "Pabirik is a basic mining instrument utilized by the diggers of Paracale which is ordinarily
comprised of a solid round wood utilized for panning a gold. This is seven days in length festivity that give
the general population, visitors and aficionados look at the past culture, traditions, customs and history of
the gold town of Paracale. The celebration likewise features the rich mining industry and gold items
accessible in the district. The festival is featured by different games, move and road moving rivalries, social
introductions and the scan for Ms. Paracale Beauty Pageant. "Pabirik" proposes the dish and methodology
Paracale people use in gold panning

Examples of Religious Dance

Subli
Subli is considered a favorite of the people of the barrios of the municipality of Banuan, Batangas. It is
a ceremonial workship dance performed in homage to the Holy Cross referred to in the vernacular as Mahal
Na Poong Santa Cruz.

Obando
 The Obando Fertility Dance is a festival where couples who hope to be blessed by children perform
street dances in a long procession. ... Nowadays, the Fertility Dance is celebrated in Obando in honor of
Santa Clara, San Pascual de Baylon, and Nuestra Señora de Salambao.

Dugso
The Dugso, of the Manobos in Bukidnon, is danced during harvest time and upon the birth of a male
heir. Colorful costumes and ornaments enhance the appearance of the participants: women wearing
feathered headdress and plaid costumes steps rhythmically, some using bell anklets as the sole
accompaniment, to punctuate their movements, others use bamboo drums, still others, bamboo guitars. A
fire is lit in the belief that the smoke will carry the offering up to the gods

Examples of Courtship Dance

Kuratsa
Commonly performed during festivals in Bohol and other Visayan town, this dance portrays a
young playful couple’s attempt to get each pther’s attention. It is performed in a moderate waltz style

Salisid
Kalinga, Cordillera. This is a courtship dance that symbolizes a rooster trying to attract the
attention of a hen. This is performed and portrayed by both male and female dancers as the rooster and hen
respectively. The dance starts when each of them are given a piece of cloth known as “ayob” or “alla.

La Berde
La Berde (literally, green) is a courtship dance from a mountain settlement in Talamban,
Cebu. In a series of quick steps and quick changes, the dance celebrates what is lush and full of life. The
dance is performed by an interesting cast of two girls and a boy, instead of the usual pair of dancers.

Examples of War Dance

Cordillerans
The tourism department has called on Cordillerans to tone down the representation of war dances
to avoid imparting the wrong impression that some tribes still practice tribal wars giving the impression
that the region is not a safe place to visit, thus affecting the growth of the local tourism industry.

Maglalatik
 All traditional dances tell a story. The indigenous Maglalatik dance of Philippines mimics the battle
between the Christian and the Muslim Moro tribesmen. Maglalatik is also called as Magbabao where ‘bao’
means ‘a coconut shell’. It is an all–male dance with coconut shells used as props. The Maglalatik embodies
the element of a battle, reconciliation and a prize as well. It is usually performed during religious
processions at the town fiesta of Binan. It is also a mark of obeisance to the patron saint of the town, San
Isidro de Labrador. A calm and elegant display of harmless weaponry, Maglalatik is a four part war dance,
which the Moro had won technically. Let us discuss Maglalatik dance in detail.

Idaw
This dance sometimes has many names and different versions. Most common is this dance depicts
the hunting ritual performed before a tribal war. The tribes men would go out and look up and watch for
the scared Idaw bird. Which is said to lead the tribe to victory. Also look at the clothing , Philippines being
a very hot climate, plus the use of as little material as possible, the traditional clothing was not made to
cover much of the body.