Binirayan gears up for biggest tribe competition
San Jose, Antique -- With the major cash prize of P100,000 up for grabs, this year's Binirayan festival may well be the grandest tribe competition in the festival's 32-year history. As of press time, eight tribes have confirmed their participation in the Malay-Ati competition.
The Malay-Ati is Antique's version of the mardi gras and street-dancing like Kalibo's Ati-atihan and Iloilo's Dinagyang. It is unique in that it is based not on religious devotion but on cultural celebration of the province's history. The Antiqueños trace their roots to the original Ati settlers of Panay and the Malay immigrants who arrived around 12th century A.D. The Malay-Ati dramatizes this and is envisioned to showcase the integration of Ati and Malay cultures in present-day Antique life. Other innovation in this tribe competition are the compulsory use of bamboo-made "tonggatong" and "tultogan", which form the basic musical instruments, and the use of the Binirayan beat, which was first introduced in the Ati-atihan tribes competition in the early eighties.
The contesting tribes in this year's Malay-Ati competition are Tribu Buroyloganay of Sibalom, Tribu Urukay of Anini-y, Tribu Tugbong of Pandan, Tribu Pahinis de Bukidnon of Guisijan, Laua-an, Tribu Kamunuan of Hamtic, Tribu Pahinis of Laua-an, St. Anthony' College, and Tribu Hantikan. The performances will be judged at the EBJ Freedom Park at 2:00 PM on April 29.
The winner gets P100,000 cash and trophy, while the second and third placers get P50,000 and P30,000, respectively. Last year's champion Tribu Kumpletos Rekados, which is composed of the local gays association, is not joining. The runner up, Pandan's Tribu Tugbong represented the province at the Wow! Philippines! in Intramuros in June 2005.