5 Reasons Why You Should Visit the Province of Isabela
By Ashley Lucas - February 6, 2018
The province of Isabela is often overlooked as a destination for tourists, mostly because people head toward the white sandy beaches in the Ilocos region or the highlands of Mountain Province. But, if one takes time to dig beneath the province’s surface, you will uncover the town’s rich and vibrant past, colorful festival, beautiful people, and gorgeous attractions that make up its northern charm.
Needless to say, you need to endure a 10-hour drive from Manila to see this part of the country. You will, however, be granted a scene worthy of your time once you’ve arrived. There is the refreshing sight of greeneries, the view of the cornfields, and the typical herd of cattle on the side of the highway—everything is a feast for the eyes.
If you’re not yet sold, though, you might want to read our top 5 reasons why we think you definitely should visit the province:
5. Food
Isabela's Bambanti festival is not just about scarecrows
The Bambanti festival showcases the province's local products and produce
Alexa Villano
@alexavillano
Published 12:15 PM, February 05, 2018
STREET DANCE. The Bambanti street dance has won numerous awards from the Aliw Awards. All photos by Rob Reyes/Rappler
ILAGAN, Isabela – The province of Isabela held its annual Bambanti Festival from January 22-28. This year's festival theme, Isabela Kong Mahal (Isabela my beloved), saw each municipality and city of the province showing off their creativity in various forms. From the street dances, installations, ecotourism booths, and food contests, the Isabeleños proved that their festival can also be at par with the likes of the Ati-atihan and Sinulog festivals.
Selected members of the media and travel bloggers were treated to the hospitality of the people from the North. Bambanti, or scarecrow in Ilocano, highlights the provinces main produce – corn and rice.
Bambanti festival of Isabela: Reawakening the beauty of arts and culture
BY VIRGINIA ABAD-BERGONIA,
EDUCATION PROGRAM SUPERVISOR, DEPED-CITY OF ILAGAN, ISABELA
Manila Times - 08 Feb 2018
THE much-famed weeklong Bambanti Festival 2018—named after scarecrows which protect the farms—has been attracting local and foreign tourists, thanks to the Filipino ingenuity in local arts and culture.
Giant scarecrows both amaze and scare in equal measure. At the festival, booths are set up in a village to enjoy the festival’s activities. The festival which started on January 22 and ended on January 27 is aptly referred to as the “mother of all festivals.”
Bambanti mascots are mostly created with colorful straws and grasses wrapped in farmer’s clothing but others used native farm products to depict the scarecrow.
But there is more to the Bambanti festival than just the scarecrows. At the core of the festival is a showcase displaying an array of farm produce, handicraft and other native products, aside from other highlights like include street parades and dances, beauty pageants and a host of fun activities.
Visitors enjoyed ample time getting acquainted with the local culture as they immersed themselves into some of the Philippines’ most amazing cultural traditions and cultural heritage. As a perk, visitors got to share this agricultural abundance, lifestyle, and cuisine with the locals.
Rice is the staple crop in this region, so the festival can be regarded as a tribute to the Bambanti who watch over the fields.
The Bambanti Festival has been adjudged three-time winner of the Aliw awards, bringing home the title of the Best Festival Practices and Performance from 2015 to 2017. The Festival is an annual event for Isabela province.
With the theme “Isabela Kong Mahal” (Isabela, My Beloved Land), this year’s festival depicted the Isabeleños love for the land and their birth through various creative concepts and images, including the Giant Bambanti Showcase, Bambanti Street Dance and Showdown Competition, Musical Street Performances, Search for Bambanti Festival King and Queen, and Isebela’s Master Kusinero Cooking Contest.
Standing tall in the field, scarecrows have been fixed figures used to drive away birds and pests from crops but it was a come-on as spectators were treated with various festive colors, dance performances, loud music and creative costumes which showcase the rich culture of the province.
Given that tourists and residents flock to enjoy the Bambanti Festival, the said annual fun-filled festivities would linger in the next years
Bambanti showcases Isabela's produce, food, people
Angelo G. Garcia
Posted at Feb 03 2018 09:00 AM
ILAGAN, Isabela -- It's festival season once again and almost every province, municipality, and city in the Philippines is busy putting on a show. Some of the biggest festivals in the country like Cebu's Sinulog and Iloilo's Dinagyang recently ended their celebrations with the usual showstopping and colorful street dance parades.
Another festival that recently showed off its cultural legacy is Isabela province's Bambanti Festival. It's one of the biggest festivals on the island of Luzon. This year, with the theme “Isabela Kong Mahal,” the festival showcased the best of its local produce, food products, people, and destinations.
Bambanti translates to scarecrow, which is a symbol of the province's main industry—agriculture. Isabela is the leading producer of corn in the country. It's also one of the top provinces that produce rice, mung beans, and other local produce.
The festival celebrates the province as a powerhouse in the agricultural sector as well as it rich culture, history, and like any other festival in the country, its Catholic faith.
Bambanti Festival was founded by former governor Benjamin Dy in 1997 but was stopped for several years before current governor Fasutino Dy III revived it in 2011. Since then, the festival has won several awards including the Hall of Fame in the national festival competition Aliwan Fiesta and and Aliw award for Best Festival Practices and Performance.
This year's week-long celebration comprised of several events, including Bambanti Festival King and Queen pageant, Bambanti Village fair, cook fest, choral competition, grand concert, and the highlight of the festival, the street dance competition. All of these festivities were held in Isabela's capital city, Ilagan.
Street dancing
The street dance competition was held at the Isabela Sports Complex and with a total of 22 participating groups. Some of the judges of the contest were Ricardo Eric Cruz, chief culture and arts officer of the Cultural Center of the Philippines; Prof. Lordinio Vergara, director of the Center for Culture and Sports Development of Philippine Normal University; dance artist Nonoy Froilan; and designer Albert Andrada.
The competition was divided into two categories: Street Dance and Dance Showdown. Each participant prepared a street dance routine performed on the sports complex's oval track and a dance showcase on the main stage.
The contingent from Alicia show off their winning routine.
The municipalities of Alicia, Ramon, and city of Cauayan won first, second, and third respectively in the Best Street Dance Contingent category. The municipality of Alicia also won first prize in the Best Dance Showdown Contingent category while the municipality of Luna and Cauayan city won second and third respectively.
“ISABELA KONG MAHAL” TOP BILLS BAMBANTI FESTIVAL 2018
Jerny Destacamento
FEBRUARY 1, 2018
The annual Bambanti Festival is back this year with the warm yet vibrant theme “ISABELA KONG MAHAL” (Isabela, My Beloved Land), committed to showcasing the ardent love of Isabeleños for their land of birth.
Bambanti Festival: Isabela Kong Mahal
Organized by the Provincial Government of Isabela, the Bambanti Festival is a tourism, trade, and environment project aiming to develop, promote, and market Isabeleños’ world-class indigenous products, lifestyle, merchandise items, and cuisine as the pride of place.
Bambanti Festival 2018, celebrated from January 22 – 27, focuses on Isabeleños’ warm traits for their beloved land, care and protection for their national resources and environment, love and respect for the culture, history, and heritage of the community, and consistent efforts for a sustainable agriculture and all other industries.
The theme “ISABELA KONG MAHAL” depicts Isabeleños strong commitment to their beloved land and outstanding virtue of hard work, proudly sharing to its visitors how their family-inherited traits contributed to the fast-growing socio-cultural and economic development of the province through various creative concepts and images.
“Bambanti” is an Ilocano word for a scarecrow, which the province considers as protection despite the common notion that it arouses fear. Created with colorful straws and grasses wrapped in farmer’s clothing, bambanti has always been the icon and mascot of the festival.
In Photos: Stars at the Bambanti Festival 2018
Alexa Villano @alexavillano
Published 2:50 PM, January 29, 2018
McLisse, Ogie Alcasid, 4th Impact, and Jona entertain the province of Isabela during the annual Bambanti Festival.
ALL TOGETHER NOW. Ogie Alcasid, McLisse, and 4th Impact rock the Isabela Sports Complex during the Bambanti Festival. All photos by Rob Reyes/Rappler
ILAGAN, Isabela – The people of Isabela were treated to a night of entertainment on Saturday, January 27, at the closing event of the Bambanti Festival.
Bambanti, which means scarecrow, is the province's festival that celebrates the richness of its agricultural industry.
In attendance at this year's Bambanti were Ogie Alcasid, Jona, and the tandem of McCoy de Leon and Elisse Joson, who gamely sang and dance with the Isabeleños at the Ilagan Sports Complex.
