Every year in the first week of May, the Binatbatan Festival of Arts is celebrated. The Binatbatan Festival of Arts is celebrated in relation to Vigan's very famous Abel-Iloko craft. This festival focuses on the traditional weaving craft, which is thought to have before the arrival of the Spaniards. The Binatbatan festival features a street dancing and showdown competition in which performers dress up in "abel" (woven fabric) costumes and sway to their dance. A trade and food fair, as well as a presentation of Ilocano delicacies, traditional industries, and crafts, are also part of the Binatbatan festival.


            The word "binatbatan" is derived from the Ilokano word "batbat," which means "stick," and is used to separate seeds from cotton pod fibers, which are then processed into the fabric known as "Abel-Iloko." The Binatbatan Festival also includes street dancing, which is used as an expression and tribute to the Ilokanos of old. It is an Ilocano dance that depicts the first step in the weaving process of Abel-Iloko. The streetdancing pays tribute to the Abel-Iloko, a traditional skill that has supported the economy, particularly in Vigan, since the Pre-Spanish Period untilnow. Apart from all of the fun and engaging events during the Binatbatan Festival, "Tres de Mayo" is also celebrated in Vigan City in honor of Apo Lakay of the Simbaan a Bassit as an act of thanksgiving for saving Vigan from a deadly epidemic in 1882.


            The Binatbatan Festival not only celebrates Vigan City's rich arts and culture, but it also celebrates Vigan's miraculous and blessed history, because Vigan would never be the same without the miracle of Apo Lakay, and Vigan would have been significantly devastated without the miracle of Apo Lakay.




References: 

News, I. (2014, May 15). Vigan celebrates Viva Vigan Binatbatan Festival of the Arts. Ilocosnews.com. https://www.ilocosnews.com/2014/05/16/vigan-celebrates-viva-vigan-binatbatan-festival-of-the-arts

Malabanan, J. (2018, March 18). Santo Cristo Milagroso de Sinait - The Ever Miraculous Lord of Ilocos Sur. Blogspot.com; Blogger. https://pintakasi1521.blogspot.com/2018/03/santo-cristo-milagroso-de-sinait-ever.html