BURIHAN Festival: A Period of Plenty, Peace and Happiness

Barangay Bitas, Tigbauan, Iloilo will celebrate its Burihan Festival on February 5-11, 2017. Buri is a major product of Tigbauan as their source of livelihood aside from banana and coconut. The Barangay hailed its festival in honor of it.  

On its eight year this year, the week-long festivity is the Barangay’s way of recognizing the role of the buri palm tree in the cultural and historical development of Barangay Bitas. Burihan Festival is also held to honor their patron, Our Lady of Lourdes where the community gather to share their joy with others.

This year’s theme, “Maghili-usa…Magsinadya…Burihan Festival, Tatak Sang Bitasnon, Itib-ong Ta!,” has series of special events that will open on February 5 (Sunday) with a Pamukaw / Caravan at 2 p.m.;  February 10 (Friday) with the Street Dancing at 2 p.m., and Lin-Ay Kang Burihan at 8 p.m.; February 11 (Saturday) with the Tribe Competition at 3 p.m.                       

The centerpiece of the celebration, the tribe competition highlights the creatively-woven buri products.  Even the names of the competing groups carry the processes how the fiber is obtained: Likyad, Luknit, Sasa, Karatel and Hilo.

Barangay Bitas is a small agriculture-based community where the buri palm plays an important part. Production of Buri-made items is a popular industry in Iloilo. The people in the area cultivate their land and they express their gratitude to this palm tree type by celebrating with great passion and joy.

The buri palm is a genus of palms native to India, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea and northeastern Australia. It is a fan palm with leaves having a long petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets. The buri palm reaches the height of 20-40 meters and with a trunk diameter measuring up to 1-2.5 meters. All the species are monocarpic and die after flowering. The genus is relatively slow growing and can take many years to form a trunk.

The tree produces three kinds of fibres, namely buri, raffia, and buntal.

Just like its relative, the coconut tree, buri has a variety of products and by-products made from the palm tree. The fiber of Buri is popular material for making ropes.  The leaf is obtained a fiber, similar to that of raffia is used in making cloth, strings, and other fancy items. The fiber from the ribs of its unopened leaves is used in making hats. Strips of unopened leaves are popularly used in making fans, mats and baskets.

The annual Burihan Festival is a proud concept of its founders, Mrs. Nora Rose T. Tubiano, Miss Dinalyn G. Ticot and Mr. Francis Marl L. Flores, supported by its members, Mr. Leonardo T. Tupino, Mr. Francis Lee V. Tejero, Mrs. Teresita L. Flores, Mrs. Ma. Leah Mae T. Tabang and Mr. Richard Nicken.

Tigbauan is a 30-minuter drive south of Iloilo City. The town, 22.5 kilometers away from the city is comprised of 52 barangays distributed in its 6,062 hectare land area. It is bordered in the northwest by Leon; the northeast by San Miguel; east by Oton; west by Guimbal and the Iloilo Strait in the south. For more information, please contact Mrs. Linda Fe Camina – Municipal Tourism Officer at 09173283997.