What is Bonok Bonok?

BONOK BONOK MARADJAO KARADJAO

The Festival

Celebrated on September 9, Bonok Bonok Maradjao Karadjao is celebrated in Surigao City, coinciding the feast of San Nicolas de Tolentino. Highlighting the day-long annual event is the dancing of the bonok-bonok by the ethnic Mamanwas, performed during thanksgiving, wedding ceremonies, and worship. Performing the dance is their way of praying the gods for good health and bountiful harvest. During the festivity, a contest is held between barangays and the coastal areas aiming to beautify Surigao City.

Originated from the early race of the Mamanwas, bonok-bonok is a ritual dance that starts with slow beat gradually becoming faster. Colorful costumes such as beaded headdress called the tubaw, together with bracelets and anklets for the women. Men and women in their ceremonial attire are elborately designed in variety of colors, and are worn during the performance

The tradition of dancing the bonok-bonok is passed down to the present generation, and through this, the Mamanwa people have adapted the Bonok-bonok Maradjao Karadjao Festival in respect to their patron saint San Nicolas de Tolentino, as a symbol of the cultural heritage of Surigao.

Other events that takes place during the festival are street dancing of private government officials in their colorful, creative costumes, and parade of huge floats. Bonok Bonok Maradjao Karadjao is a festival of merrymaking, a celebration of food, bargains, colors, and dances.

The Scoop

The Mamanwas

In their physical appearance, the Mamanwas are similar to the Negritos. They are one of the oldest and successor of the early natives of the Philippines. Their customs and traditions are still intact and performed to the present times during occasions. Mamanwas are forced to be island settlers due to the fast pace of modernization.

During the tribal festival called the Kahimunan, the tribe of Mamanwa engages in music in graceful dancing, accompanied by chanting and their native instruments such as the gimbar, a gong and bamboo percussion called the kalatong and katik. A priest called the baylan heads the ceremony in tribute to their god they call Magbaya, and their great ancestors, praying for good health and abundant harvests.

Wild boars, and fowls along with different fruits are offered by the native to the ancestors during the ceremony. They perform the bonok-bonok represented by different babaeyon and chieftains of the village. Through the practice of bonok-bonok, the people express happiness and friendship while dancing and singing. Scarves called banay are waved in the air as sign of goodwill, wealth, and blessing for the entire village.