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The Philippines is a diverse country with numerous unique cultures and traditions. But most of these practices did not last longer than the primitive Filipinos expected it to be, since, the Philippines was colonized by several countries. The longest of which, the Spaniards stayed for three hundred thirty-three years while transforming the Philippines into Spain-alike sharing their culture, building infrastructures, imparting their knowledge, but the most outstanding contribution of Spain to the Philippines is Christianity.
The Philippines proudly boasts to be the only Christian nation in Asia.
We, Filipinos are very religious people and our faith in this religion has effectuated a handful of traditions that up to the very present is practiced by the modern Filipinos. It is with no doubt that the culture brought to us by the Spaniards has been passed from generation to generation. For many Filipinos, Catholic practices and ethnic identity are intricately interwoven into cultural meanings of identity, family, and community (Nadal, 2009).
They aren't necessarily taught by the elders but as a predominant aspect in the Filipino community, it plays a huge role that the newer generation absorb and practice these traditions willfully.
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Enculturation plays a vital role in maintaining the stability and continuity of culture and without surprise, the Filipinos, as very religious people remain faithful and firm in the beliefs that were passed on from their forefathers. With the amassing of individuals that share a system of meaning, several activities that go beyond the typical means of celebrating our faith (going to church, praying, etc.) has surfaced.
In one sense, Filipinos have fabricated an alternative faith outside the purview of the established Catholic Church by developing various rituals centering on religious icons, such as public processions and the celebration of the feasts for town saints. (De la Paz, 2001). The Filipinos as I call it, 'renovated' the way we pray and give thanks.
In the Philippines, the Spanish word 'fiesta' is defined as a communal, usually, religious feast to honor a patron saint. Though most of these celebrations are on account of saints that are associated with Roman Catholicism, anybody, regardless of race, religion or nationality is welcome to join in the celebration and witness the entertaining activities. . Each city and/or barangay has at least one local festival of its own and with roughly 122 cities and around 42, 000 barrios in the whole Philippines (, there is almost a fiesta going on somewhere around the country.
According to a website online with the list of festivals in the Philippines, fiestas are part of the bundle of the Filipino culture, and even through good times and rough times, the fiesta must go on. This itself implies how strong the faith of the Filipino people is and how much Christianity has really attached to our systems. Fiestas are the amalgamation of different types of art - music, dance, food, rituals and even theater are very much commemorated during these times.
But the true ritual in celebrating festivities isn't only the entertaining part but it also includes the preparation and the time we expend on making it happen because the real magic in fiestas is how it brings people together and how it unites people with common beliefs and purpose. The Tagbilaran fiesta on May 1 is one of the significant occasions of the city, during which locals gather together and feast that lasts for four days - the ante-bisperas is the day before the eve of the fiesta; the bisperas, the eve of the fiesta; the katumanan, the day of the fiesta; and the liwas, the day after the fiesta. But ever since the establishment of the Saulog Festival, the celebration now lasts longer than how it used to be. (Manipon, 2018) Saulog Festival now celebrates its opening ceremony during mid-March and ends on May 1.
The Cebuano word 'saulog' which means celebration reflects how the 15 barangays of Tagbilaran City celebrate the thanksgiving of their patron saint – Saint Joseph the Worker. This festival has only been celebrated for four years but the attention and feedback it is receiving is implausible. Like other festivals, it has a wide range of events such as parties, bazaars, entertainment, art exhibits, street dancing competition and of course, the annual pageant where 15 ladies (one for each barangay) fight for the title 'Mutya sa Tagbilaran'. During this joyous occasion is when the Tagbilaran City Hall Grounds become a night market with booths selling local crafts and food and enlivened by nightly performances by local bands that are purely Boholanos. Then there's this sea procession that starts from the 'talipapa' at the causeway in Poblacion Uno and around the Panglao Strait back to the 'talipapa'. Though this isn't really a competition, locals still employ their maximum effort in designing their fishing boats for the procession. There is also an inter-barangay sports league that is categorized to teens and adults.
The much-anticipated events are always spotted on May 1, the fiesta day itself. The day usually starts with the traditional 'Diana' wherein a local band tours around the city while playing music to wake up the people and to make known that the day is special. (Manipon, 2018). But the highlight of this day and the festivity itself is the street dancing competition with its grand showdown where the contingents or the participants represent their barangays. The theme shall vary every year but a subtheme for each barangay shall remain constant – it is that whatever the barangay's pride and glory and/or topographic features should be exhibited in their costumes, choreography or music.
Also, the contingents have to include four basic dance steps inspired by Saint Joseph the worker, a carpenter, and should strictly be part of their dance, these are the pangurus, pagsipilya ug pagdukduk, paghalad and pagsaulog. The street dance and showcase are not only spectacular but also an entertaining way of knowing local culture, practices, and values. ART AS AN EXPRESSION According to Judith R. Mackrell in her article entitled 'Dance Performing Arts', dance is an art form or activity that utilizes the body and the range of movement of which the body is capable and that dance is a powerful impulse and the art of dance is that impulse channeled by skillful performers into something that becomes intensely expressive and that may delight spectators who feel no wish to dance themselves. Dancing on the streets or anywhere else has always been a thing during festivals. As for the case of the Saulog festival, street dancing is the jack of all trades.
Each participating barangay spend almost two months for mastering the complexity and intricateness of their dance. They are given this time span to conceptualize how they would convey a message through their music, rhythmic movements, and emotion. People should comprehend what story they are trying to tell and it should always tie back to what the festival is all about. Dancing is considered as both the art and an art form. In contrast with paintings, the dancers are comparable to a canvass – the medium in which art is expressed. The blend of rhythmic gestures, music, props, etc. are equivalent to paint that is used to color the canvass.
But prior to how the dancers projected themselves in front of the audience, we should never neglect the actuality that it is a collective effort of the choreographers, costume-makers, instrumentalists, and others to effectively put out the message out there so it could be as comprehensible as possible.
Saulog Festival is spearheaded by the Tagbilaran City government. However, there is no denying that the accomplishment of any festival requires the collective effort of several aspects of the community. The foundation of most if not all festivals is our unique traditions that vary from different places. Festivals, may it be cultural or secular originated from the beliefs of our elders and are then on practiced by generations to generations and now we call as traditions. The cycle then continues as the newer cohort pave their way to creating a new or reforming tradition. Yet, traditions would simply end if people aren't faithful enough to practice.
Traditions plus faith keep festivities alive. It is not debatable that there is a commercial feature when we talk about festivals. In order for the Patriots to give thanks to their patron saints, they need to first have the resources and the funding to do so. But Filipinos, as what I have always observed are very religious and patriotic people. Traditions are traditions. We find ways to actually push through our events.
Tagbilaran City mayor John Gesnell 'Baba' Yap said on one his interviews in The , Sunstar Philippines that aside from the main purpose of the Saulog festival, which is to give thanks to St. Joseph the Worker, the city government is also trying to promote Tagbilaran City and to let people know that the city is fast growing, developing and progressing. So, now what do you think of whenever you hear the word 'festival'? The thing is, not only paintings, films or sculptures are being over-commercialized - so as festivals.
Commercialization helps in the funding, tourism of the said city or barangay, and of course, spreading the word quickly due to numerous sponsorships from big companies and the clamor that it brings, but the takeback of these perks is that people are now forgetting why these festivities are even celebrated in the first place. We are often lost in the moment of enjoying what money can do how it brings us joy that we tend to forget the sole purpose of the festivity. Gone are the days when nobody cared on whatever anybody was wearing during these occasions, or how much the prize is for the winning contingent during the street dancing competition or when competing with each other wasn't even a thing. And at the back of every participants' mind is to do their best not because it is what is every performer should do but because there's this certain amount of money waiting to be won. Gone are the days when festivities solely revolved on the idea that it has to be practiced because it is part of the tradition.
Big companies are now profiting from this arrangement. One of Saulog festival's highlight is its pageant that's often held on the night of the street dancing competition. Boholanos all over the province gather in one specific gymnasium to support their candidates. But that's not just it, the city government invites prominent people including famous artists to come if not, judge the competition to produce an impressively sonorous sound to attract even more visitors and spectators that are in one way or another, beneficial to the tourism aspect of Bohol. However, Family members whose only intent was to support their family member have to pay just so they could watch and cheer. You see, what used to be a thing for all to enjoy and be entertained has now been labeled with a price tag.
From the huge balloons with logos of huge companies to the motorcades in which almost every vehicle has been attached with a tarpaulin where logos of companies or faces of running candidates & prominent people are plastered as a way of thanking them for whatever they have contributed and to the countless number of food stalls we see almost in every part of the city. Commercialization is sucking out the true essence of festivals. It somehow makes it possible for certain people to profit off of something that shouldn't be a source of profit but instead a source of entertainment, belongingness, and warmth while celebrating our faith. It somehow boils down to the idea that these art forms are fueled by money. Festivals which are sacred alternative forms of thanksgiving, prayer, and celebrations are no longer what they used to be. They already have this connotation that it's not just about honoring and preserving our culture and traditions but it is also for money's sake. Festivals also serve as magnets for tourists and probably investors in the city or better yet, the province.
With the attention it's getting not only locally but also internationally, it is with no surprise that Saulog festival would attract even more tourists that are eager to experience what the festival has got to offer. On another note, many politicians now see it as an avenue to vend their names to locals and to give a good impression to the officials ranking above them and to promote their political propaganda. Many of these candidates could be running for the upcoming elections so as to make the people believe that they are contributing meaningfully to the community and gives regards to what many people value (festivals). It is also inevitable that politicians insert their propaganda in their speeches taking the opportunity of the gathering of a huge number of people.
Festivals as a Social Practice and Its Commercialization. (2021, Dec 09). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/festivals-as-a-social-practice-and-its-commercialization-essay
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