Binatbatan Occupational Folk Dance | Ilocano Cultural Dance Heritage [Ilocos Norte Philippines] 

Philippine Folk Dances Volume VI by Francisca Reyes Aquino Filmed at La Tabacalera de Currimao and Malacanang of the North. Binatbatan is an occupational dance from Paoay. The dance depicts the beating of cotton pods to separate the seeds from the fibers with the use of two sticks called batbat. To process the raw material used in weaving, ginne cotton was beaten with a pair of sticks sounding a clear and distinct rhythm on a carabao hide to separate fiber strands. The people of Paoay are known for their fabled skill in weaving a heritage cloth called abel. Oftentimes, weavers engage in a contest as to who could finish first and could produce cleaner and more fibers. The celebration of loom-weaving features Ilocos Norte’s mythic woven designs out of raw bright cotton threads. It is not only a manifestation of our people’s industriousness but also our weavers’ artistic consciousness and mastery of cultural knowledge. When weavers wish to have a merrymaking, they sing and use the batbat in a dance. They prance between and out of parallel sticks without stepping on them, showing their expertise, ingenuity, and brilliance. The tempo of the beating and the rhythmic resonance produced by sticks make the dance festive, vibrant, and zestful. Over the years, the Binatbatan has been one of the province’s amalgams, connecting every Ilokano to our cultural roots through our diligence in labor, prolific narratives, and fondness of revelry.
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The Ilocano Dance Heritage and Guling-Guling 2021. Celebrate Ilocano Dance Heritage in this special virtual staging of Tan-ok ni Ilocano Festival and the celebration of Guling-Guling 2021 - a delightful showcase of folk dances of the Ilocano people filmed in the most scenic and historic sites in Ilocos Norte.
We continue to celebrate our “Tan-ok” month with a showcase of Ilocano folk dances! Using researches by foremost Filipino dance scholars and experts as references, our choreographers, dancers, and costume designers have interpreted 10 extraordinary examples of dances in Ilocos Norte for a modern audience. This online show coincides with the celebration of Guling-Guling, an ancient tradition in the historic town of Paoay.
The Ilocano Folk Dance Festival is indeed the perfect essence of our greatness. Undeniably, our culture and the arts are powerful instruments in fostering unity in the community and pride in our heritage. As we altogether recover from the effects of the pandemic, this festival has revived the creativity and livelihood of designers, performers, choreographers, and other artists in the province, inspiring and reassuring them that their passion has a place in Ilocos Norte.