Treasures Of Ilocandia

     

      Ilocos Sur has a rich heritage and unique culture. Ilocos Sur have many different festivals and one of these is the Kannawidan Festival. Kannawidan is a variant of the Ilocano word "tawid" meaning heritage or inheritance. Kannawidan Festival is one of the most popular festival here in Ilocos Sur. It is a festival that celebrates every year.This festival is very popular because it celebrates the best of Ilocos Sur culture, from traditional dress and folk dance to tribal rituals, arts and marching band contests. It is a  celebration that lasts from the last week of January up to the first week of February. During this festival, we Iloko people wears our contagious smiles. The activities and events during Kannawidan are Food fairs, carnivals, and the famous beauty pageant in Ilocos Sur the Saniata ti Ylocos Sur.

          Despite of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, Ilocos Sur still conducted the Kannawidan Festival but, not the same as the celebration last year. Kannawidan Festival this year have a simpler celebration. Before the festival the provincial government announced strict guidelines to be observed during the festival. These guidelines has annouced to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This year, the festival will only run for a week-January 29 until February 5. There are still activities and events this year and this includes the Trade and Food Fairs at the Kannawidan Grounds and the Saniata Ti Ylocos.

       Kannawidan festival is an extraordinary festival. This year, the celebration was not as grand as last year but,we still celebrates it cheerfully. Despite of the pandemic, we Iloko people still put smiles on our lips. That is the reason why Iloko people are resilient and cheerful. Hopefully this pandemic will end soon so that we all can go back to normal.  

 References:

https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Kannawidan-Ylocos-Festival-Pride-of-the-Ilocano-Culture

https://m.facebook.com/paradoresdevigan/posts/2450763071855200

https://pia.gov.ph/features/articles/1017968

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1065420

Photos retrieved in:

https://images.app.goo.gl/bnm64k2VoVnMmfCs5

https://images.app.goo.gl/9bqHz9esppUB3LjH7

https://images.app.goo.gl/7AAWWnpDVf8zaUAi7

Destructive COVID

        We all know that Vigan City fiesta is held every January 25 and that is the day when people in Vigan wear their beautiful and contagious smiles. You could see the happy look on their faces, the sparks of happiness in their eyes and hears the smooth harmony of their laughs. During the celebration, there are street dancing, food fairs and carnivals. This kind of celebration was the celebration that we are used to but, this year we didn’t experience the celebration that we want and this is because of the pandemic caused of COVID-19. This pandemic washed away our excitement and happiness when the month of January comes.

           COVID-19 affected the Vigan Fiesta celebration.  The things that we used to do and we used to see when the city of Vigan celebrates their fiesta were gone and this is because of the COVID-19. In the previous year, Vigan Fiesta was held cheerfully. But now, there will be no more cheerful celebration. People right now should stay in their homes because staying at home is the safest thing to do during this pandemic. This situation makes me sad and I know that others felt the same.

          Additionally, based on what I observed, there are challenges during the Vigan City Fiesta and one of this is the situation that we are facing right now. In which, we can’t experience the things that we used to do when the Fiesta of Vigan City begins. People right now should stay in their homes to avoid COVID-19. 

        To sum it up, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a big effect in Vigan Fiesta celebration. COVID-19 is truly dangerous and destructive, but, I believe that we can overcome this problem. Hopefully, this pandemic will end soon so that we can all go back to normal and we can again do what we want and we can experience again the cheerful celebration of Vigan City Fiesta.

References: 

https://www.vigan.ph/attractions/vigan-city-fiesta.html

https://lovepilipinas.com/event/vigan-city-fiesta/

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/north-luzon/vigan/events/vigan-town-fiesta/a/poifes/1449884/357318

Photos retrieved in:

https://images.app.goo.gl/mV1AM9DZqqWXdape8

https://images.app.goo.gl/eeYM8R7iMB9qiqARA

https://images.app.goo.gl/rRukXfP1i6zRbw5L8