Exploring the Peculiar Features of the Palawod Festival of Bantayan, Cebu, Philippines

Abstract The study described the nature and background, dance properties and peculiar movements present in the dance of the Palawod festival of Bantayan. Utilizing a Descriptive-Qualitative research design, data gathered were analyzed through movement analysis of Francisca Reyes Aquino. The study revealed that the festival was founded to make a social activity that will equal or surpass the Holy Week celebration and to eradicate the misconception that Holy Week is fiesta in Bantayan. There is no definite costume, accessories, props, footwear and other dance properties in the festival as long as it shows Bantayan’s culture and history. The music evolved from a live accompaniment to a recorded jingle highlighting the sounds of kalatong, budyong and other instruments with a basic beat that is in 4/4 time signature. Bugsay (paddle), isda (fish), silik (fins) and sulo (torch) were the peculiar movements present in the dance. This concluded that the Palawod festival served as the catalyst in changing people’s beliefs towards the religious practices in Bantayan. Furthermore, it gave Bantayanons the opportunity to appreciate their history, showcase their creativity, and strengthen their devotion through movements. A contextualized dance literature served as the product of the study, and it was recommended to disseminate this literature to the community and stakeholders of Bantayan. Documenting the festival will not just help in preserving this culture, but it will also motivate people to patronize the dance which contributed a lot in fighting the threat of deterioration of local culture. Keywords: Peculiar Features, Palawod Festival, Dance, Festival, Movement Analysis, Documentation