23 images Created 25 Feb 2013
Palawan - Baragatan Festival
The Baragatan Festival is a month-long event that celebrates Palawan’s rich culture and interesting traditions. From the local term bagat, which means “to converge,” the Baragatan Festival is a meeting of various cultural groups from around the province, showcasing their unique characteristics, eventful histories, and popular products. The festival begins with a colourful float parade with floats created by various municipalities and organisations around the province, representing local artistry, customs and handicrafts. It culminates with an enthralling street dancing competition in the grounds of the provincial Capitol building in Puerto Princesa. Each dance troupe from all regions of the province prepare themselves with body paint and colourful, flamboyant costumes, and create a performance that is a creative description of their cultural and geographical identity through dance and music. And as always with festivals in Palawan, the final icing on the cake is a beauty pageant to remind everyone that the people are just as beautiful as the province is.