KINABAYO FESTIVAL – a depiction of the Spanish-Moorish wars
February 26, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dapitan Festivals
KINABAYO FESTIVAL
The Festival
The city of Dapitan celebrates the Kinabayo Festival held every 24th of July, in honor of Dapitan City’s patron saint, Saint James. A festivity of exotic and colorful pageant and a depiction of the Spanish-Moorish wars, the Battle of Clavijo, formerly known as the Battle of Covadonga, in 722 AD, in particular. Against the Saracans, the Spanish force of General Pelagio and his men took their last stand and were able to see hope of winning when the tide has turned on their favor due to the appartition of Saint James the Apostle, atop a horse, carrying a sword. This carried the Spanish soldiers into victory over the Moors.
Innovations that made the event even more colorful draw the crowd’s attention and became a popular tourist attraction. At present, the festival is a celebration of religion, history, culture, social and economic elements, merged into one.
Activities lined-in for the annual event are sports competition, night presentations, beauty pageant, agro-trade fairs, the popular street dancing and showdown, street parties and live band concert. Other exciting, crowd-drawing events are the Bikini Open, with the usual presence of known celebrities, a drag-racing competiton, a bicycle race, the National Lawn Tennis Tournament, bowling tournament, chess tournament, boxing tournament, horse racing, ballet presentation, and the Miss Dapitan Coronation Night.
Highlights of the festivity is the famous Patnunob, and the Sinug at St. James Church, and the procession of the image of Señor Santiago de Apostol.
History
Dapitan was the settling grounds of the migranted Boholano tribesmen headed by Datu Pagbuaya. These Moro pirates sail in the open waters pillaging the village. The arrival of the Spanish Jesuit missionaries led the discovery that similar to Spain, the place was harrased by Moor invaders. They sought the help the guidance of Saint James the Greater as their patron saint, assisting the Christians in defeating the Moors, and so he came and led the Christian defenders victorious over the Moro raiders.
Intervention of St. James kept Dapitan victorious against Moro invaders but from the other evil deeds and natural calamities such as typhoons, earthquakes, and epidemics.
People of Dapitan have even came to idea in reenacting the tale of the Battle of Clavijo during the Feast of Señor Santiago. Performers would group into two, completely attired to play as Christians and Moorish soldiers riding in horses made of rattan and bamboo, and so is called kinabayo.
The Scoop
Saint James the Greater
Saint James the Greater is the patron saint of Dapitan City. He was an apostle of Jesus Christ, brother of Saint John the Evangelist, and the son of Zebedee and Salome. He earned his nickname “the greater” to identify him from an apostle whose also named James. He was a fisherman in Galilee like his brother and they were called by Jesus while they were casting their nets by the lake of Genesareth.
St. James, along with Peter and John, witnessed the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead in Gethsemani and the transfiguration in Mount Tabor. He carried his mission as a baptist and an evangelist after the Christ’s death.
He was the first to be martyred among the 12 apostles. King Herod Agrippa I sentenced him to death by the sword in 44 AD when he was condemned by the Sanhendrin due to a charge of sedition. His disciples, Athanius and Theodore took his body on a boat and brought to Irias Flavia. They asked for Lupa’s help and gave them bulls to pull the cart to where they laid the body. His remains were taken to Liberus Donum, situated between Rivers Sar and Sarela. His body was placed in a mausoleum built in marbles by his disciples, and later became the patron saint of Spain.
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