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2016, February 19.  City of Bago, 50th Charter Anniversary

Litho Offset, Amstar Company, Inc.,  Perf 14

Singles,  Sheets of  40

15p  Babaylan Festival - Singles  (101,000) 

 

 

First Day Covers:  Manila & Bago City

  

            

 

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City of Bago - 50th Charter Anniversary

Bago City is known as the “Home of historical and natural treasures”, owing to its contribution in the colorful history of the province of Negros Occidental and country, and its beautiful scenery and abundance in flora and fauna making it a good eco-tourism destination.

Bago is an Agri/Industrial City, endowed with vast and long stretch of rolling plains-carpeted with rice, sugarcane, corn, coconut, fruit trees and other high value crops. Its enchanting mountains provide a view of splendid scenery, a home of mystic caves lakes and cascading waterfalls.

Bago City boasts of the many attractions it can offer-from the communion with nature at the cool breeze of Rafael Salas Park and Nature Center; to the spectacle of panoramic sceneries viewed at Buenos Aires Mountain Resort; to the gasping sights of the cascading waterfalls and flora at the height of the viewing deck of the Kipot Twin Falls; to the warmth of sea breeze, a calmly sight of sunset and the rustling of waves in the beach resorts; to an immersion down memory lane in various historical sites and structures that brings back the nostalgia of a glorious history of the Bagonhons. Truly a tour in Bago City is a life enriching experience.

Babaylan Festival is an annual celebration held every 19th day of February during the Charter Anniversary of the City of Bago, Negros Occidental. It is a representation of the rituals performed by the Babaylans or high priestesses, like rituals of marriage, baptism, healing, and harvest.

The festival display an exotic character of the Babaylans who were very common in the Visayan provinces before the Spanish colonizers came. Among the figures in the history of Negros Island, the Babaylan Festival is the most colorful and enduring up to now. Dancing, singing, and drumming to please the spirits are the standard way of celebration, and the people are adorned in intricate and beautiful costumes.

Beauty pageants and ritual dances are the highlight of the occasion. The dancers wear different styles of Babaylan outfits as well as very colorful and artistic accessories. Some of them also put dye and paint on their hair and body with a variety of designs illustrated on their skins

During the pre-Hispanic era of Philippine history, indigenous Filipino civilizations had a different societal heirarchy.  They are mostly a matriarchal society, with the Babaylans placed among the highest-ranking leaders of the group or tribe.  When the Spanish colonizers came, the Babaylans and their rituals were suppressed, making way to the Christian religion.

 http://www.bagocity.gov.ph/welcome-to-bago-city/

http://vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Babaylan-Festival-Rituals

 

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• Festivals

Articles by Dr. Ngo Tiong Tak

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