Lami-lamihan Festival – rekindles the native Yakans culture and diversity

The Festival

A yearly festival celebrated n the town of Lamitan in Basilan Province and showcases the traditional Yakan customs and traditions, music, dances, and crafts that has long been preserved.
Celebration of the event rekindles the native Yakans culture and diversity, the gentle people of province of Basilan, south of the Philippines. Townspeople are dressed in colorful costumes take part in horse races, parades, and other activities.
The perplexed Yakan hand-woven fabric symbolizes these people of unique culture of the Basileños that goes along with the challenges of global modernity.
The festival brings to completion with tradtional display of skills in Yakan music, games, and Yakan hand-weaving competition. Authentic Yakan rituals are publicly displayed the next day – the peggunting or baptism, pegtimbang or weighing, magtammat or graduation, and the pegkawin, the Yakan wedding as the main attraction. It has been a tradition that these competition and activities be distinguished as the highlight of the festival, sharing to the world the rich culture of the Yakans.
It may be obvious to notice during the festival that elder competitors of the traditional musical instrument competition are dominant in numbers, although young maidens participate in the weaving competition of yakan.

Origin

Started in 1983, Lami-lamihan Festival has since held annually. The incumbent official of the city inherit the tradition from the former mayor and the and the present mayor’s uncle and continues to enrich the festival by showcasing and preserving the Yakan traditions.
Facilities, amenities and attractions for tourists, livelihood assistance for the locals, new commercial centers, transport terminal, road repairs and construction, and a RORO seaport are among the infrastractures the city offers for the visitors’ comfort during the event.

The Scoop

A Yakan word the means merrymaking, Lamitan is also derived from Lami-lamihan. Among th seven municipalities of the island-province, Lamitan is along Isabela, Maluso, Sumisip, Lantwan, Tipo-tipo, and Tuburan.

In Succession

Lami-lamihan Festival today may seem predominantly populated by Christians, probably since the apporval of the great Datu Kalun of the Yakan Tribe  in the 1800s. Chrisians and Yakans proverbially laying out red carpet and warm hospitality for spectators who will come and visit the annual Lami-lamihan Festival in the renowned Lamitan town of Basilan.
Regatta de Lamitan kicks off at the municipal port in the morning followed by a fluvial parade, motocross and mountain bike racing, tennis tournament, fun run and agro-ethnic fairs.
Aside from the mentioned activities, the festival features cultural performances that showcases the tribal arts and dances of Yakans. Also beauty pageant is held in the evening.
Other activities include street dancing contest, presentations of culture and religion, Miss Gay Lami-lamihan, traditional games, boxing and other sports, and on the final day, the feast of town’s patron, St. Peter.

all photos are protected by copyright - © anton sheker

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