Passi City all set for the 9th Pintados de Pasi Festival
Some festivals in the province of Iloilo have either come back from near extinction or have evolved. And because of this, efforts have been undertaken by the community to breathe life into these cultural presentations that form part of a larger program of the tourism initiatives of the province to fully claim the title as the festival capital of the region, and to promote Ilonggo culture through the revival and preservation of traditional music and dances.
The Pintados de Pasi Festival, in Passi City, central of Iloilo province, is perhaps one of the best known and established festivals of the Visayan region that have evolved through the years. It has played a big part in the lives of most Passinhons. It is the most popular spectator cultural event and the most popular for the community that has a large following. Theatrical-like street dancing performances are a celebrated part of the Pintados festivity that is characterized by heavy and aggressive body movements. Here, performers adorned in traditional body tattoo with elaborate geometrical designs in their body, including their arms, legs and torso dramatizes stories in which the towns' ancestral beings laid down every feature of the area, especially, their way of life.
Characterized by heavy and aggressive body movements, the dances seem to have developed independent of any external influences, as in the combat dances, folk plays, ritual actions, or character types. Historical or cultural sources are essential materials in sustaining a festival such as theirs. The festivity changed over the years, though its cultural presentation remained popular up to this day, and has resurrected and form part in a celebration that reflected function and transition. It also represented a major change in style and subject matter.
Tourism, through this cultural celebration brings thousands of local and international visitors interested to know the city's rich history, considerable scenic beauty, and a number tourism attraction. The Passinhon 2000 Incorporated devotes their efforts of promoting the festival in the local and national scene. These efforts focus on the cultural festivity--at least in the early promotional stage, is the best way to keep it alive, and a variety of innovative efforts are underway to do just that.
With the theme "Passinhon nga Kultura, Sakdagon Ta" on its 9th Foundation Anniversary, the people of Passi City led by their municipal mayor, Elyzer C. Chavez is inviting everyone to come and witness their many other special events enjoyed during the week-long celebration, including Garden Show and Food Festival on March 11, its opening day; the Karosa Parada and Carabao-Painting Contest with the Grand Coronation Night of the Search for Bb. Pintados on March 16; Sinadya sa Suba and the Pinta Lawas Contest of March 17; and the much awaited Tribe Competition on March 18. With this wealth of unique cultural and recreational events, Pintados de Pasi is surely one of the country's top tourism festivals.