One Island, One Weekend, Two Festivals

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Langub Festival Dancers



           Negros Island is the best place to go on a road trip in the Visayas. As prices of fuel dropped recently, we planned our weekend getaways. The first quarter is the festival season in the country, you get to see a lot of photo blogs on social media be it a ‘selfie’ or a ‘groufie’, with smiling faces even if covered with charcoal or paint. 
Mabinay Welcome Arch

Mabinay Terminal Complex
It was a rainy Saturday morning, we drove to the south towards the mountain, on a cold weather passing through the City of Kabankalan and turned left to the other side of the island, Negros Oriental.

Cake and Flowers from Mayor Jango Uy with  Andy, Cong. George Arnaiz, Mayor Manule Sagarbarria of Dumaguete , Board Member Saycon and Judges
Mabinay is a smoke-free Municipality, the residents speak Cebuano yet, Hiligaynon is widely understood considering the geographical location. First stop, the Mabinay Terminal Complex and Convention Hotel, this is where buses and jeepneys stop over for pee stops and food. The Terminal Complex is an imposing building in the town which has hotel facilities and can accommodate travelers in air-conditioned rooms good for two or dormitory type rooms, plus a convention hall, just right next to the market where you get to taste ‘bibingka’, banana chips, peanuts, pomelo or  ‘humba’ and native chicken soup.  

LubayLubay Festival
Langub Festival
We came for the Langub Festival upon the invitation of fellow Bosconian and good friend Mayor Ernie ‘Jango’ Uy. Mabinay is known as the caving capital of the country with about 400 caves lying beneath the mountain, with more than 30 already explored by spelunkers. This is the reason why they celebrate the town’s fiesta with a street dance known as the Langub Festival. Langub is a Visayan term for caves, the dance has five basic steps such as Lupad, Hapulas, Inata, Pangayam and Pasalamat, with 32 barangays actively taking part in the festival. The dance showdown started with a ‘Palihi’, typical to Visayans where offerings are made like the kamangyan as purifier, Tuba (fermented coconut water) being a farmers version of hard drink as a symbol of celebration, chicken with white feathers, water in a bamboo and many more. The dance festival is a showcase of the preservation, appreciation and promotion of the caves and a thanksgiving of the people of Mabinay. The dancers wore costumes depicting animals like cats, monkeys, bats and cavemen, with eight competing tribes, they were judged on the costume, street dance performance, and choreography, drum corps and identification arches.  No less than Congressman George Arnaiz, Dumaguete Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria, Board Members Mariant Escano Villegas and Melimore Saycon and Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Maranon came enjoyed the festival, showing oneness among the two Negros provinces.
Neg. Occ. Board Member Pedro Zayco, Cong. Neri Colmenares, Cauayan Mayor  John Rey Tabujara, Councilors Abad and Soriano, BM Helen Zafra and Councilor Romulo Mombay
Lubay Lubay Festival
Cauayan Commercial Complex and Terminal
            Next stop was the coastal town of Cauayan, Negros Occidental for the 16th Lubay Festival themed Protecting Mother Nature and Sustaining Our Rich Biodiversity. This is a dance of the bamboo, which is abundant in the town. Children are dressed like bamboos, and performs the dance with four basic steps such as Lubay or swaying, bending, bowing and stretching in an artistic manner. Cauayan also has a Commercial Complex and Terminal with accommodation facilities for travelers, and houses the Cauayan Tourism Office headed by Mark Canobis.
            We had a sumptuous lunch of fresh crabs and fish, chicken adobo and Hawaiian plus fruits in season like water melon, had it not been for a rough sea, the caterer told us there could have been shrimps in her menu. This is what I like in coastal towns, you get to eat fresh seafood and all the food you can see, just do it in moderation and be sure to bring anti-allergy medicine. The best part, there is native coffee in stalls around town.
Judges with Mayor John Rey Tabujara
            It was a sunny Sunday in Cauayan, the mood was festive, the streets were filled, thousands watched the Lubay Lubay Dance showdown, Congressman Neri Colmenares together with Congresswoman Mercedes Alvarez and Board Members Pedro Zayco and Helen Zafra came for the festival. Judging the festival with Rudy Reveche, Janeth Joseph, Ian de Ramos, Jose Neri Dela Cruz was difficult with 25 participating barangays, yet entertaining and makes you appreciate our culture as Filipinos, be it a dance of caves, bamboo, this speaks of our history and beliefs and is very educational.

            My weekend birthday celebration was a fun road trip in both provinces here in Negros Island, with flowers and a cake from Negros Oriental to seafood in Negros Occidental. Make your plans now, there are more festivals in store for us to visit. Have Fun!

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