Sights in the Philippines Bambanti Festival

The colorful Bambanti Festival is truly a feast for the senses.  It began in 1997 and is celebrated as a communal gesture of thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest.  Isabela is the country's top producer of corn and second in rice.
  
Bambanti are scarecrows--usually dressed in scary tatters and colorful hand-me downs, found in abundance in the rice and corn fields throughout Isabela.  Each of the province's 35 towns and two cities display and agro-ecotourism booth and/or Bambanti, using only natural, organic and biodegradable materials indigenous to this area.  

And the dancers!  Many of the communities send their youth to perform native dances in the Bambanti parade.  The colors and creativity of the festival is absolutely delightful. 


The first year we were here, the community of Alicia sponsored Bambanti contests.  These are some of the scarecrows that we saw along the road.  This is just a few--there were probably about 50.  Love the creativity!

These are the dancers lining up for the parade.  They were having a lot of fun.

These are just a few of the displays.
 Everything is organic and natural.

We had to get Elder and Sister Jones in front of the  town of Jones display!

We have really enjoyed this festival and the way it celebrated and honors

the farmers of Isabela--for their diligence, hard work and resilience.

There is a rich cultural heritage and industry in this beautiful part of the Philippines.