The 297th town fiesta of Miagao, Iloilo was highlighted with the 15th Salakayan Festival

with the theme, Saulugon: Dugong Miagawanon on February 2 -10 with the much-anticipated
tribe competition on February 9. Miagao is a coastal municipality situated at the southern part of
Iloilo province, approximately forty kilometers from Iloilo City and enroute to the province of
Antique. It is comprised of 199 barangays sharing a land area of 13,286 hectares.
Salakayan Festival is one of the most popular festivals in Iloilo province. It is a yearly
week-long festivity held every first week of February in the Municipality of Miagao. It depicts
the courageous act of Miagawanons to defend their native place, their culture, their possessions
and the life of the people residing in the land. The enactment demonstrates how the natives
fought using bolos and other improvised weapons against the Moros. The Moros were generally
known as Islamized inhabitants of Mindanao, with the pejorative connotation of pirate, savage,
bandit etc (Novilla, 1998) Spanish chroniclers have recorded major slave raids that engulfed
the coastal communities especially in the Visayas where men, women and children were captured
and sold in Sulu and Java to work in the fields; bartered off to merchants for other Asian
markets; some were used as household retainers others as rowers of pirate vessels (Marin, 2013)
The term Salakayan was coined by Dr. Arnold Naldoza which refers to as the act of
forcibly invading or attacking a group of people. It was derived from the root word salakay
(Novilla, 1998). The said celebration started on the mid 18 th century. The events included in the
festival surely promote the heritage, history, as well as culture of some of the tribes in the
province. Miag-aos culture and tradition is deeply felt and seen through the high esteem in
which its people hold their festivity. The festivity has helped the town foster its own identity in a
province where festivals are celebrated almost every month all year round. To make sure that this
Ilonggo festival is celebrated successfully, the provincial government usually provides funds for

the conceptualization and organization of events featured in this special festival. The celebration
is a unique revelry of the past that provides the Miagawanons and visitors the opportunity to
enjoy and be together for a while in such a festive mood and fun fare.
Another feature of the Salakayan Festival tradition is the Gigantes parade where huge
papier mache figures towering 10-15 feet in height and with bodies framed out from large
bamboo or wired cages entertain spectators (Marin, 2013). Draped in yards of colorful cloth, a
man slips under each giant and sees his way through an eyehole somewhere in the giants
clothes, holding up its torso with a metal or bamboo pole to make it walk. Gigantes commonly
depict archetypes of the town. Most popular are historical figures of local relevance. The parade
is accompanied by small groups that beat out a rhythm on drums or to the tune of a small
marching band. Annually, the Gigantes continues to delight the festival crowd in Miag-ao. Six
tribes are participating in this Salakayan Tribe Contest namely Tribu Tabun-ak, Tribu TabukTabuk, Tribu Buklod, Tribu Bantala-an, Tribu Kirayanon and Tribu Salagyawan. These tribes are
supported by the different public schools, barangays, associations, and other sectors in the
municipality.
The week long celebration starts with a food fair which showcases Miagaos cuisine, an
agro-industrial trade that exhibits towns agricultural and fishery products, a photo exhibit of
Miagao scenic attractions and closes with the tribal competition. Aside from the Agro-Trade Fair,
the annual Salakayan Festival attracts guests and tourists through activities such as Food Fair,
Higante Contests, Fluvial Parade, Literary Musical Contests, evening socials and Fashion Show
of hablon and patadyong . This memorable celebration is Miag-aos way of appreciating every
step of its historical journey and from its modest beginnings way back in 1999. Salakayan
Festival salutes the towns significant efforts in fostering goodwill among its people, enhancing

and promoting the image of Miagaowanons as hardworking, responsible and dignified workers,
and for the greatly contributing to the socio-economic development of the province of Iloilo as a
whole. The annual celebration of Salakayan Festival of Miagao draws support from various
organizations and groups especially those living and working abroad, inviting them to come
home and re-discover the strength, talent, and beauty of their town and its people.

References:
http://www.exploreiloilo.com/salakayan-festival-miagao
http://www.iloiloboard.com/salakayan-festival.php
http://mybeautifuliloilo.blogspot.com/2013/01/15th-salakayan-festival-of-miagao.html
(Bombette Golez Marin January,2013 ). 15th Salakayan Festival of Miagao.