Binirayan fever is on

The Binirayan fever is all over the province. Colored banners are all over the EBJ Freedom Park in the capital town of San Jose . The Binirayan Foundation, Inc. (BFI) manned the preparations for Antique's premiere festival.

Last March 10, 2005, in the official Press Launching of the festival at the Gardenia Room of Amigo Terrace Hotel, Governor Salvacion Z. Perez and BFI Executive Director Alex C. Delos Santos pledged that this year's festival would be one of the biggest ever. This year's festival highlights include the fluvial parade and reenactment of the landing of the Bornean datus in Malandog, Hamtic, the search for Lin-ay kang Antique, and the Bugal kang Antique awards.

The present leadership for the festival preparation also introduced the Ketipon Ati Festival, one of this year's unique features. A festival within a festival, this will feature real Ati people from the settlements in Hamtic and Tobias Fornier. These real Ati people will serve as the key players in the reenactment pageant. To further give importance to their culture, there will also be an Ati Village at the EBJ Freedom Park that will exhibit their unique traditions and lifestyle.

This year's festival theme “Kultura kag katiringban: Pagpalayag sa kaaraydan kang Antique” (Culture and Society: Sailing towards a better quality of life in Antique) jives with Governor Perez' thrust in focusing on culture and governance. The Governor has been known as an advocate of culture and the arts.

Lined-up activities for the festival will start on April 18. Other activities include nightly talents competition, food festival and band concerts, arnis exhibition and the Antique Pride Parade on April 28.

Major companies like Globe Telecoms, Semirara Mining Corporation and San Miguel Corporation are this year's event sponsors. Development Bank of the Philippines , San Jose Business Park Businessmen's Association, Asian Spirit, Jollibee, Amigo Terrace Hotel and City Square are festival supporters.