Ilocos Sur is a beautiful province located in the northern part of Luzon. It is a province rich in culture that represents the ancient Spanish and Filipino heritage. To show and share their treasures to the whole world, the locals conceived a festival that highlights these cultural traditions and they called it the “Kannadiwan Festival”.
It is a celebration that celebrates from last of January to first week of February. It includes the event of commemoration of the foundation of the province, Ilocos Sur. The other ancestral cultural activities in the festival include the zarzuela show, traditional games and pallot or cock games.The festival is also a show of the province’s trade and agriculture products, and is a livelihood training ground for women and students through the Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Agriculture.
To show how part of the culture of the people of Ilocos Sur has modified through the years, the festival offers these activities to the new generation: dance craze, battle of the bands, Mr Kannawidan muscle showdown, Search for Saniata, car and motorcycle show, street dancing and showdown that show off the one-town-one-products of the 34 towns and cities of the province, horse racing, chef wars, rodeo fiesta, game fowl and pigeon expo, rhythm festival,3rd Gov Ryan Singson Motrocross Cup, Kannawidan Mini Fwd Race, karambola, and drag race, among others.
The abel Iloco is also given the spotlight during the fashion show, the evening gown competition of the Search for Saniata, and the period dinner and Father Burgos Awards night at the famous Calle Mena Crisologo, named after the provincial governor from 1901 to 1906, Mena Pecson Crisologo, a great Ilocano writer.
The old and the new in Ilocano culture are both featured in this year’s Kannawidan Ylocos Festival - the festival of Ilocos Sur that celebrates its being a separate province and its being a treasure chest of traditions and culture.
Photo credits:
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