Pagdiwata Ritual Festival - annual event of acknowledgement and expression of Palawan people to the deities
December 1, 2008 by admin
Filed under April Festivals, Palawan Festival
The Festival
Celebrated by the Tagbanua people of Palawan, the Pagdiwata Ritual Festival is an annual event of acknowledgement and expression of Palawan people to the deities same time seeking for the deitiesí help in healing the sick and in need and offer prayers for departed loved ones. People who are in serious health conditions also come to join the event, treated by their family being the medium of healing.
The celebration of Pagdiwata is also an opportunity to celebrate bountiful harvest or succesful hunting trip.
The Babaylan, or the high priest, lead the ritual, since he is considered the most powerful and influential among the people of Tagbanua. They strongly believe that disrespecting the Babaylan faces severe punishment by the supernaturals.
The festivity includes offering of wine, nuts, wax, food, and many others.
Activities such as planting, war/hunting dance, harvesting, tarek, in a nightlong singing and dancing of lively traditional music, and the main feature, the pagsuldan, wherein the Babaylan gets possessed by the spirtis.
Observance of the ritual is Tagbanuaís family affair to which they express sentiments and is important part of Palawanís culture.
The Scoop
The Kamarikutan Pagdiwata Arts Festival
A week-long festivity of celebration of arts in the full moon of April before or after the Holy Week, the Kamarikutan Pagdiwata Arts Festival or Kamarikutan features various workshops in the field of painting in different media, sculpture, dance, and film making, while art exhibits and forums occupy participants in the afternoon, through the evening of stage performances and concerts.
Kamarikutan is considered the haven for artists who are wanting to grow more in the field of arts. Also part of the festivity is the guesting of popular people such as national artists in the field of music, fine arts, television, and literature, whom conducts workshops assisted by respected trainers.
The celebration of Kamarikutan is inspired by the Tagbanua Pagdiwata Ritual Festival of thanksgiving.
