FeaturesBuglasan Festival and its roots

Buglasan Festival and its roots

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By Jackie Veloso-Antonio

Part 1

In the early times, the island of Negros was called Buglas… it was totally covered by weeds called buglas…,” historian Dr. Caridad A. Rodriguez wrote in her book History of Negros Oriental. Buglas is a weed that grows to about three feet high, and is also called bugang. We can still see a lot of bugang in the hinterlands, particularly in the town of Manjuyod, I am told.

The 2024 Buglasan Festival starts this week, October 18-27, in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, with all towns and cities in the province participating. Majority of the events and activities will be held at the Negros Oriental Capitol Grounds and the Freedom Park. The highlight of this annual event is the Buglasan Festival of Festivals street dancing and showdown competitions, as well as the LGU’s agri-tourism trade fair booths.

Last 2003, I sought out Bobby Flores-Villasis and Prudi Sirilan, two of the members of the now-defunct Sandurot Promotions. Over merienda, they shared the story of how Buglasan Festival was conceptualized. Listening to their story-telling, I sensed the pride in their voices as they took turns relating the details to me, laughing and slapping their legs every now and then.

In the late 1970s six individuals Bobby Villasis, Prudi Sirilan, Bobby Café, Bing Cipres, Oscar Ong and Ting-Ting Delfin, were having their usual barkada gathering at Bobby’s boarding house at the former Torillo Residence along Real Street (now Veteran’s Avenue). This group of theater enthusiasts was already producing the Miss Dumaguete, Miss Silliman and Miss Foundation Pageants under their production outfit Sandurot Promotions. They were discussing the possibility of organizing a festival for Negros Oriental. They talked of bringing together the various festivals of each town and city in the province – a collection of festivals. The idea, however, remained just that, an idea.

Then in 1979, Bobby Villasis, Cultural Officer of Foundation University, proposed to then FU President Marcelino Maxino to bring back the FU Folk Dance Troupe. With Atty. Maxino’s support, they reorganized the FU Folk Dance Troupe in honor of FU founder and former president, the nationalistic Dr. Vicente G. Sinco. But first, they needed a choreographer for this folk dance troupe. So, Bobby sent a telegram to his friend Loury U. Lacson in Manila to inquire if Foundation could afford her professional fee. Who was Loury? She was a member of the world-famous Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company and daughter of National Artist for Dance (1988) Mrs. Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula, one of the founders and official choreographer of the Bayanihan. Although Loury was residing in Manila, her husband hails from the town of Basay, Negros Oriental.

Imagine Bobby’s surprise when Loury just showed up at Foundation University one afternoon in 1979. By that time, he still didn’t know if FU could afford to pay Loury. “Ay, bahala na kayo basta dito ako.”  she was heard to have said.

It was in 1981 when Loury received an invitation for the Province of Negros Oriental to participate in the 4th National Philippine Folk Festival in Manila. The Sandurot Promotions group convened once more to plan for the event. Here was the opportunity they had been waiting for and talking about for so long. It was decided that a festival be organized in Negros Oriental using the same national guidelines. Each town and city was to develop a presentation based on a local legend, myth, or folk dance. This collection would be called the Buglasan Festival of Festivals. Winners of the local festival would then represent the province in Manila.

It was during this brainstorming that the name Buglasan was born. Doing it the way of Buglas – the way of Negros.

As this effort required a lot of manpower, another friend of the group entered the picture. Coleta Aranas, then the provincial chapter president of the women’s group Balikatan, mobilized her members in every municipality and city. Balikatan acted as a conduit between the organizers based in Dumaguete, and the Buglasan participants from the other towns and cities.

The Sandurot Promotions group wanted to start the festival with something unique, something traditional. Suggestions were made but nothing seemed acceptable. Finally, someone thought of asking Mrs. Engracia C. Torillo, who was managing Bobby’s boarding house. Already in her 70’s then, Mrs. Torillo or Lola Yaya to many, suggested the palihi. (Originally published on Sept. 21, 2003)

 

 

 

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