Biray-Paraw Festival: A Unique Sailing Experience

Leganes, Iloilo will be celebrating its 13th Biray Paraw Festival from June 20-23, 2019. The town offers immense opportunities for water sports especially, sailing. A unique attraction in this small, charming town, Biray Paraw in Leganes is a great way to explore and see up close the town’s picturesque coastal area.

The festival highlights a day of skilled races and the traditional biray-biray or sailing. The sailing conditions are extremely friendly. Biray gives every visitor a totally different feel to the experience.

The annual festivity aims to boost Leganes’ reputation as an emerging marine tourism destination by improving the experience of visitors and promoting a variety of events and activities available around the town’s coast.

The local government with their municipal tourism office play a big part in ensuring that the festival reaches its full tourism potential. The annual celebration will help grow the sailing tourism market in Leganes with all the benefits it brings - not only in terms of economic benefits but re-enforcing the town’s reputation as a sailing destination.

Leganes is among the top day-time destinations in the province of Iloilo and attracts tourists with their child-friendly inland resorts. The town is a group of 18 barangays that hold much wonder and adventure waiting to be discovered.

There are several little villages not too far inland and from its exotic coastline just waiting to be explored. There are dense mangrove forest areas that can be explored through a number of pleasant walking trails.

With the theme, “Leganes Paraw, Symbol of Resilience” series of special events are organized daily starting in June 20 (Thursday) with the Launching of “Malinis na Leganes” a Clean-up Drive at 8 a.m., Part 1 of Program in front of Municipal Hall and Part 2 of Clean-up Drive around the Plaza complex; June 21(Friday) for the Eco Walk and Coastal Clean-up Program at 7 a.m., Foot Parade going to Barangay MV Hechanova at 7:30 a.m., Coastal Clean-up at 8 a.m.

June 22 (Saturday) Wattah! Wattah! Color Fun Run from the Municipal Hall to Jaen Beach Resort with Program starting at 6:00 a.m. with Color Fun Run to Jaen Beach and Fun Games, Wattah! Wattah! Program Pasundayag, Palumba Motor Boat, Palumba Paraw, Biray Biray! At 9 a.m., Free Live Jamming at Rianne’s Beach Resort at 6 p.m.; June 23 (Saturday) with Bike Fun Ride around the Municipal Hall to Sea Garden Resort at 6 a.m., Biray Biray sa Sea Garden, Search for Miss Biray Paraw 2019 at the Sea Garden Resort at 5 p.m. with Cocktail Party and Closing Program.

Leganes, a quiet but progressive town is one of the 19 coastal towns of the Province. The town is subdivided into 18 barangays made up of a residential community that shares a common border with Iloilo City. This Fourth Class town is located along the Guimaras Strait, opposite the town of Buenavista in Guimaras. It is adjacent to the City of Iloilo in the south; bounded by Pavia in the southeast; Sta. Barbara in the west; and Zarraga in the north.

It has a total land area of 3, 216 hectares populated by 32, 480 (2015 Census on Population) Leganesnons. Market day is every Sunday. It annually celebrates its religious fiesta every 5th of April in honor of St. Vincent Ferrer. To get to Leganes, one can take a 20-minute jeepney ride from Jaro Plaza, Iloilo City. For more information, please contact Jerry Anas – Municipal Tourism Officer at 09127721033.

Celebrating 15 Years of Uniquely Pandayan

Badiangan, Iloilo will celebrate its Pandayan Festival alongside the town’s 51st Foundation Anniversary and 50th Municipal Religious Fiesta Celebration in honor of its Patron Saint, St John the Baptist on June 17 – 24, 2019.

Pandayan Festival is an annual event that showcases and celebrates the best of Blacksmithing or Pagpamanday, considered one of the earliest trades to be practiced in Badiangan. The Barangay of Bingawan is the most popular source of fine crafted bolos in Iloilo. Men and women are in the barangay are becoming active in the manual production of bolos.

Pagpamanday has its roots in local rural culture and is prominently featured in every tribe presentation during Panadayan Tribal Dance competition. The festival has been a fixture in Iloilo for over 15 years and is part of the fabric of the province and the annual festival calendar. The show, scheduled this year on June 21 (Friday) at 1 p.m., had always lured audiences from all over the province by being unique and authentic.

Aside from bolo-making, tribal presentation showcases the town’s thriving backyard industries such as hand-loom weaving and tahu-making allowing spectators to learn about their art, their process and enjoy appreciating them in a whole new way and demonstrate to the community that handmade in Badiangan is truly something special. 

Aside from Pandayan Festival, there are always new things to discover in Badiangan. Some of the adventures in store for guests worth visiting is the weaving center in Barangay Cabayogan, around three kilometers from the poblacion, the production of hablon and patadyong is done almost on a full-time basis.

Badiangan Tahu Instant Ginger Tea in Barangay Iniligan tastes entirely different, remarkably better than any other brand available in the market. It continues the long history of making ginger ale the old fashion way. Bingauan Bolo is one of the main produce and source of income for the locals in Barangay Bingauan where almost 1/3 of the population in the area are craftsmen that make bolos.

An appreciation of basic organic farming is introduced to those who fancy it or a guided vegetable picking at your satisfaction only in Ephrathah Farms. A sprawling 7-hectare resort situated in Barangay Sariri equipped with accommodations, swimming pools, restaurant and function rooms and a glass chapel. Its 7-hectare farm near the resort is situated on a rolling hill planted with organic fruits and vegetables. It has a Greenhouse, Vegetable Garden, Mini-Zoo, Aquaculture, and Livestock. For the adventurous in spirit, experience the breathtaking zipline ride or venture into wall climbing and rappelling. mountain bikes and ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) are available at a reasonable price.

Jade Energetic Paradise and Adventure Corp. in Barangay Cabayogan is a 28-hectare farm resort abundant with various fruit-bearing trees such as mangoes, mangosteen, dragonfruit, calamansi. Coconut, banana, jackfruit, rambutan, papaya, pomelo, star apple and more. It has swimming pools, poolslides, restaurant and accommodations for those who would want to stay overnight.

With this year’s theme, “Badiangan: Withstanding the Challenges, Enjoying the Growth and Progress, Facing the Future with Faith, Cooperation and Courage,” the festivity will open on June 17 (Monday) with a Motorcade at 6 a.m., Mass at 7 a.m., Foot Parade, Opening Program with the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Agri-Fair, Pasidungog at 2 p.m.; June 18 (Tuesday) with the Oath-taking of newly Elected Municipal Officials and a Farmer’s Forum in the afternoon; June 19 (Wednesday) Sinadya sa Banwa Opening Parade at 7:30 a.m. and LIGA Night the evening; June 20 (Thursday) Health Day in the morning and MAC-PNP Night in the evening; June 21 (Friday) Pandayan Festival Tribal Dance Competition at 1:00 p.m. and the Search for Bb. Pandayan at 7:00 p.m.; June 22 (Saturday) with Cooperative Day and Night activities starting with a Mass at 7 a.m.; June 23 (Sunday) High School Night; June 24 (Monday) a Diana at 4:00 a.m., Procession at 7:30 a.m. and a Mass at 9:00 a.m. in the evening is the Culminating Activity at 7:00 pm with Disco.

Badiangan is a Fourth-Class town is located in the northwest central portion of Iloilo Province. It is 40 kilometers or an hour drive from the city. The town is bounded in the north by the municipality of Dueñas; in the northwest by the municipality of Lambunao; the municipality of Pototan in the east; in the southwest by municipality of Janiuay; and the municipality of Mina in the southeast. Badiangan has a total land area of 7, 750 hectares politically subdivided into 31 barangays. Badiangan is populated by 27, 005 (2015 Census on Population) Badianganons.