VIGAN CITY—This year’s Viva Vigan Festival of the Arts and the Binatbatan Festival is on starting from May 1 to 6, City Mayor Eva Marie Singson Medina announced.

It is the 7th Binatbatan Festival and the 16th Viva Vigan Festival of the Arts. The Binatbatan Fest was launched on May 2002 in honor of the well-known Abel – Iluko fabrics of the city, while the Viva Vigan Fest of the Arts was launched in May 1993 to promote the city’s unique historical arts and cultures.

The festival opened on Thursday through a floral offering at the foot of the marker of Don Isabelo Delos Reyes in connection with the celebration of the national Labor Day.

Among the exhibits to be opened are a garden show, food fair, trade fair and crafts demo and exhibits of the Filipino architects and Tres de Mayo Images.

There will also be contests on carabao painting, ‘boklan’ art and piglet catching to be held on the first day.

Medina, City Vice Mayor Franz Ranches and the Tourism Director Martin Valera will lead the opening of the festival.

On the second day, the Second Vigan Amazing Heritage Race will be held following the signing of the sisterhood agreement of Vigan City and Taal, Batangas and Binatbatan Street dancing and showdown contests.

On the third day, a mass in honor of Apo Lakay (Black Nazarene) will be held in the morning at the ‘Simbaan a Bassit’.

Medina said the “Binabatan Street Dancing Festival” is very significant in the celebration of the annual Viva Vigan fest because it will depict the long standing way he Ilocanos beat the cotton pods with two bamboo sticks to separate the seeds from the fluff called “batbat”.

“Batbat” is the first process in making the “Abel” – Iluko (woven cloth) – one of the famous products of Vigan.