Short History

Bangued is the capital town of the province of Abra. The name of the city means
"roadblock" and has been the seat of provincial government since July 25, 1861,
coinciding with the feast day of St. James the Great. The city of Bangued is known for its
Arya Abra festival, which means, "Onward Abra".
In ancient time, the festival is the colorful anniversary celebration of the provinces
Charter Day on March 9, 1917.
Arya Abra Festival is a celebration of of Abras individuality. It features various
sectors/groups in the province together with the indigenous people in Abra which is the

Iraya Tribe. Each day is offered to a particular group of people as a way of honoring
them for what they have done for the province of Abra.
Description
The first day of the festival starts with the Youth Festival where competitions are held
between school groups in various events including cheering and street dancing.
Also, the "Basi Festival," is also included in the course of events. It is a wine festival
featuring the local alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane and one of the beverages
popular in the celebration is the Abrazzi, which is a mixture of basi, honey and green
mango juice.
Activities

Sports and shows

A dog show held at the Bangued Town Plaza

Usual horse racing

Exhibitions at the Arya Abra Oval

Exhibition games and a basketball clinic in the Bangued Town Plaza

Women of Abra parade with their colorful traditional costumes

Ms. Arya Abra-Earth pageant