http://www.mariaronabeltran.com
Monday, 12 February 2018
It was my first time in Isabela to join the province's 2018 Bambanti Festival. Last year, I was so honored to see Guling Guling Festival in Paoay, Kadayawan Festival in Davao, Ati-atihan Festival in Aklan, Kasanggayahan Festival in Sorsogon, Paray Festival in Irosin and Tan-ok Festival in Ilocos Norte. Having seen some of the Philippines' biggest and brightest festivals, I can say Bambanti is one of those. A province known as the Philippines' agricultural backbone, Isabela gives back to the locals by conducting an annual fiesta honoring the people who work hard to produce the best harvest and to make sure that this will be a legacy that will forever be observed by Isabelans. - Maria Rona Beltran
Michelle Anne P. Soliman
February 9, 2018 | 12:11 am
One of the 22 street dance contingents at the Isabela Sports Complex
ON THE WAY to Ilagan City, one sees field upon field of rice and corn, each with a bambanti (Ilocano for “scarecrow”) standing guard. One is dressed in a long-sleeve blouse and dark trousers. A few meters away is another dressed in a princess’ ball gown. Then another, this time made of recycled plastic bottles. The abundance of crops in the area and creativity seen in the scarecrows gives visitors a hint of the Isabeleños’ diligence in farming and their admirable craftsmanship.
The Bambanti Festival was first celebrated in 1997, launched by then governor Benjamin Dy as a symbol of a farmer’s diligence and resoluteness to provide for his family and produce for his community. The festival was revived in 2011 after Faustino G. Dy III assumed the governorship in 2010.
“The bambanti is a representation. It is the ultimate symbol of all the best attributes of the Isabeleño,” Provincial Information Officer Jessie James P. Geronimo told visiting media at a briefing on Jan. 26, citing specific attributes such as diligence, creativity, spirituality, resilience, and vigilance.
By Melo Villareal - February 6, 2018
In the Philippines, almost every city has a grandiose festival that involves at least a month’s worth of preparation, an entire spectrum of colors, and a thousand of smiling tourists from all corners of the country. Isabela has one such event—the Bambanti Festival.
Bambanti Festival Grounds
Agriculture plays a huge role in the economy of the province that is frequently called names like the “Rice Bowl of the North” and the “Corn Capital of the Philippines”. It follows that the fundamental farming tool scarecrows, which the locals refer to as bambanti, should be celebrated. The iconic Bambanti Festival has been observed in the province since 1997. What started out as a humble occasion quickly gained recognition nationally.
