Bambanti Festival of Isabela is our country’s pride

As of the time of my writing this column, I am getting ready to return to Manila after attending the Bambanti Festival in Ilagan, Isabela. Still giddy from two days of partying, watching performances and non-stop eating of native delicacies including the famous binallay and muriecos, I must ask for your forgiveness if I feel a little bit more excited than usual. And, of course, proud, since Isabela is my home province.

If their electoral showing is any indication, it looks like they’re now one of us, more Yogad than any one of us could ever be

Bambanti guest Yassi Pressman with Karilagan models Carol Villar and Monette Garcia Co. Isabela today is led by two scions of time-tested political families, namely Governor Faustino G. Dy III and Vice Governor Antonio T. Albano, whose respective fathers, Faustino Sr. and Rodolfo Sr., were in the forefront of Isabela governance for decades. Vice Governor Albano’s brother, Rodito, who now represents his district in the House of Representatives, is running unopposed as governor of Isabela. His bill on the use of marijuana for medical purposes has yet to be enacted into law, but when it does, we have Rodito to thank for and not Catriona Gray, although all help to push his bill forward is of course most welcome to Rodito who, we would assume, would not mind sharing the limelight with Catriona, our very own current Miss Universe.

But to go back to the good-looking Dys, two of them now live in my own hometown, Echague. Kiko, the mayor, is the son of the governor (who is on his last term and will run for vice governor). A recent addition to the family’s roster of leaders is the mayor’s brother, Inno (obviously a nickname taken from the name of the late family patriarch), who is now the President of the country’s Liga ng mga Barangay, a position to which he was elected when he was the chairman of Barangay San Fabian in Echague.

The Dys are relatively new residents of my hometown where they have managed to make a dent in the community’s socio-political and cultural life. And if their electoral showing is any indication, it looks like they’re now one of us, more Yogad than any one of us could ever be.

Echague is of course the original home of this ethno-cultural group, to which I belong, and to which the Amalingan-Nazarenos of Vizcarra Crafts also belong (but that’s another story in the near future). Interestingly, Kiko Dy spearheads the holding of the annual Mengal Festival.

The Mengal, I am told, were brave warriors who valiantly refused to be subjugated by the Spaniards. But that’s just one version of the meaning of the term, which has since acquired various connotations that have been passed on through generations. I myself am supposed to have descended from a Mengal, but how exactly that happened, I have yet to investigate.

You can be sure I will do it with alacrity when the time comes, and when my schedule will allow me.

The vice governor, aka Tonypet, in welcoming the media, pointed out that the Bambanti Festival was not intended as a campaign tool for the coming elections in May. For one, it is held before the campaign period but that is even incidental because the festival, I was told, had for the longest time been taking place in January, which is “a good time to welcome the year,” he said.

Governor Bojie noted in particular that the bambanti (scarecrow) figure may symbolize as well our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross (with the Bambanti’s hands outstretched forming a cross), an act of sacrifice for humanity. Of course, this act of total surrender has led to the founding of the holy Catholic Church, and represents grace, which, I believe, translates to the abundance which Isabela is now enjoying. This abundance is also best explained by the industriousness and creativity of both the indigenous groups and the migrants who have all contributed to Isabela becoming what it is today, such a rich province. Well, that was exactly the vision of the old man Faustino Dy Sr., alongside his desire to unite a people of warring factions.

FESTIVAL guests Sonny Angara and Atoy Co. Let me not delve into the achievements of the Dys and the Albanos, for if at all the topic should be for another story if we ever get to interview them at length in the coming busy days, but I must say that the success of the Bambanti Festival reflects how these young leaders (I say young if I think about the older generations who for decades had reigned supreme in this province named after a queen of Spain) have successfully united the province and earned for it various national awards recognizing various socio-economic development programs.

Governor Dy, in his speech, took note of the participation of the various municipalities and of their role In making Bambanti famous all over the world. It is a distinction that has been cemented by the recent fete of Isabelinos to be included in Guinness world records as the largest gathering of scarecrows dancing in unison, that is, people in scarecrow costumes. As I watched the participants who danced non-stop, I could not help being impressed by such energy and showmanship, which makes me very proud as an Isabelino.

Bambanti brought in a lot of guests including a number of Charisma Filipina-Karilagan models such as Carol Villar, Mennen Eddun and Monette Garcia-Co, the latter serving as one of the judges for the multi-category street dance competition. With her was hubby Fortunato “Atoy” Co, who, many young Isabelinos were wondering, might be the guy on television. Monette is of course one of the sweetest among the Karilagan girls, although she is to me the consummate “Adobo Queen,” for her version of this dish, I dare say our national everyday dish, is incomparably tasty — sour enough, salty enough and yes, sweet enough, which is probably what the Filipina woman should be, if I may be allowed a little sexist statement. The men, though, may not take this too lightly because they too would probably want to be described as “may asim pa rin” (roughly translated “still with lots of oomph” but what I am saying now has nothing to do with the Bambanti Festival, of course.

Monette, the multi-faceted artist, and her company, were invited by the governor’s charming and ever-pleasant sister, Arlene (or Girlie to those close to her and that’s probably the whole Cauayan town where she grew up), who was once a Karilagan-Charisma Filipina dancer herself. I’d like to believe that Bambanti, once an inconsequential festival in a country where there’s a festival every day, has become world famous as a cultural showcase because of the governor’s sister.

Of course, that would only be saying part of the obvious truth, for in the last nine years, the one lady who had been behind the governor all the way in his every success, is his First Lady, Maryann who, my cousin Jayjay Arenas, claims was a schoolmate of his at the University of Santo Tomas, something that I forgot to confirm, busy as the First Lady was throughout the festivities.

ARLENE Dy Maranan and her Karilagan friends. Maryann it was who spearheaded the “Makan ken Mainum” which showcased the different ways of preparing and cooking longganiza. One of the judges was our dear Cocoy Ventura who, we hear, is soon transferring to Sagada for a worthy cause. This, after years of a celebrity kind of life spent in the Untied States and lately, Villa Escudero where he still stays, of course, until his move to the mountains.

Last night’s crowd could not have been more excited and pleased for they were treated to a night of singing and clowning by Coco Martin himself, the probinsiyano. With him was teleserye partner Yassi Presman who is from Isabela. I wanted to have a “selfie” with Yassi, who was my neighbor in Echague, but with that crowd, wow, that was asking for the next to the impossible. I was happy however to quietly share in her success. Indeed, my heart tells me my kababayan’s success is also mine.

Well, this much I can say about the Bambanti for now. The bus is waiting and my companions are hollering for me to hurry up. Till next week.

Thanks to Carol Villar and Mar Libao for the photos.