A day after typhoon “Lawin” left the Philippines leaving in its wake a ravaged Northern Luzon, Vigan City celebrated its annual Raniag Twilight Festival.
The disaster brought by Lawin and Typhoon “Karen” was still visible in Ilocos Sur hours before the opening of Raniag; there were still fallen trees on the roads and some damaged houses were not yet fixed.
Raniag, Ilocano for “light,” was held Oct. 21-31 in different parts of Vigan City.
Despite the damage brought by the storm, the “Biguenos,” as residents of Vigan City call themselves, didn’t let the aftermath get in the way of merry celebration.
Acting Mayor Kisses Agdamag-Lim said Raniag this year signified hope amid the disaster caused by the typhoons.
In fact the festival program had to be revised because some floats and festival materials were destroyed by the typhoons.
“Through the festival we show our camaraderie and teamwork even though that we have felt the strong winds last week,” Agdamag-Lim told the Inquirer. “But this week we are going to stand up and we are hoping for a better future.”
High school teacher Josephine Pelingen, 37, said she had been attending the festival regularly since it started in 2010. Parts of her house were ruined by the strong winds but she still went to the fest because she believed it would bring positive energy to the city.
“The lights (of Raniag) symbolize that despite the darkest tragedy, life for Biguenos will be bright again,” she said.
Her co-teacher, Benelyn Alcuasin, 47, said the floods destroyed her kitchen (she lived near the river). Despite this, she still attended Raniag 2016.
“We draw our happiness here in spite of the difficulties that we suffered,” she said.
Highlight of the festival was the dance competition where contestants with battery-operated lights performed in the dark. Other activities: a colorful float parade, a “horror house,” candle-floating the river and “color run.”
World Costume Festival
Vigan City incorporated the World Costume Festival into Raniag.
World Costume Festival is a feast of costumes organized by the Costume Design Working Group for the International Organization of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians. It happens every four years. Artists from Indonesia, Japan, Egypt, India, United States, and the Philippines joined this year.
Co-sponsors were Sinag Arts Foundation and GMA television network, which displayed the costumes of its fantasy series such as “Encantadia” (2005), “Indio” (2013) and “Kambal Sirena” (2014).
Winning design was a homage to King Boko of Yogyakarta designed by Indonesian Afif Ghurub Bestari.
Sky lanterns were flown at Jardin de Caridad Memorial Park as a commemoration of the dead.
“It has been a tradition for people to visit the graves of their loved ones and fly lanterns with their wishes and prayers for their dearly departed,” former Vigan City mayor Eva Marie Medina said.
Medina, founder of Raniag, said Vigan decided to have the festival in the run-up to the traditional observance of All Saints Day on Nov. 1 because light “is always connected with the remembering of souls.”
All Saints Day sees Filipinos trooping to cemeteries to remember their dead. The Catholic feast, in fact, is in tandem with All Souls Day on Nov. 2. —CONTRIBUTED