Empowering Bitas Through Burihan Festival

Barangay Bitas, Tigbauan, Iloilo will celebrate its annual religious fiesta highlighting the 9th Burihan Festival on February 3-11, 2019. With this year’s theme,”Burihan Festival, Enhancing Unity Towards Victory,” this rapidly growing event aims to promote the local culture of Bitas, empowering its people, equip them, and connect with other people in their community.

Since its first celebration, Burihan has grown to be one of the most popular and celebrated barangay-based festivals in the province with visitors arriving to and watch the tribe performances of the festival.

Due to the importance of the buri tree in the area, the Burihan Festival was birthed out of the need to celebrate this phenomenal plant. The event’s humble beginnings can be traced back in 2011 when the first edition of the celebration was held to honor their barangay patron, Our Lady of Lourdes. This also doubles up as a gratitude act, so expect to see the performers in their full traditional attire and outlook during the festival highlight, its tribal dance competition on February 11 (Monday) at 3 p.m.

The daily sessions are an exciting part of the celebration starting on February 3 (Sunday) Pamukaw with a Car-a Van, Opening Salvo at 3 p.m.; February 4 (Monday) Basketball League Player’s Night and Victory Ball at 7 p.m.; February 5 (Tuesday) Stand-Up Comedian and Acoustic Band; February 6 (Wednesday) Sniper’s Night; February 7 (Thursday) SK Night with the Search for Miss Gay Bitas 2019; February 8 (Friday) Women’s Night with Super Mom 2019.

February 9 (Saturday) Balik-Banwa Night with a dinner and dance party; February 10 (Sunday) Street Dancing competition at 3 p.m. and the Search for Lin-ay Kang Burihan 2019 at 8 p.m. and Dance Craze 2019: February 11 (Monday) Holy Procession at 7 p.m., Holy Mass in honor of Nuestra Senora de Lourdes at 9 a.m., Tribal Competition for the 9th Burihan Festival at 2 p.m., Awarding Ceremony at 5 p.m., Coronation of Fiesta Queen at 6:30 p.m.

A palm tree type, the buri is known to be one of the largest fan palm trees in the world. The tree can survive 70 to 100 years and, for this reason, many rural folks call it as the centennial plant. It is comparable and as useful as the Coconut tree where nothing is wasted from this tree. Its difference from other palm type is that, buri will only flower during the end of its matured life and after producing thousands or sometimes reaching a million flowers, and will turn into seeds, it will die.

The chief raw product, its fiber, the buntal has a variety of uses but is chiefly utilized in the manufacture of cloth, good quality hats, mats and bags. The coarse fiber of young buds are made into ropes and sacks. Buri is second to coconut and comparable to nipa in terms of economic and industrial importance.

Barangay Bitas is a small barangay where the buri palm plays an important part in their economic activity and the people express their gratitude to this palm tree type by celebrating with great passion and joy. Burihan Festival will provide its visitors and guests an opportunity to view their cultural presentation, as well as meet the friendly, hard-working, dedicated and creative people who organize it.

Since its first celebration, Burihan has grown to be one of the most popular and celebrated barangay-based festivals in the province with visitors arriving to and watch the tribe performances of the festival. Supporting barangay-based festivals as a visitor helps to grow the community and encourage further creative, social and community wealth.

Tigbauan is 22.5 kilometers or a 30-minuter drive south of Iloilo City. The town is comprised of 52 barangays with a land area of 6,062 hectares and 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.