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.

Harold Antallan, the next Val Lusada?

Harold Antallan, the choreographer of Tribu Hiyas Kalikasan of Surigao West Central Elementary School has consistently grabbing his fame as an outstanding trainor in the field of dance festival-making. Once an assitant by well renowned choreographers such as Nolan Martinez in 2002, he then rise into popularity and became one of Surigao's main weapon in the field of dance festival. Blessed with creativity and talent, he had his first victory when he choreographed sitio Cagpangi in a local festival called "Banuahon" way back in 2003 in Baranggay Mat-i. Since then, he had been a constant player for this business and had been training a lot of contengents like Claver, San Juan, Placer, Cadianao and recently, the Surigao West Central Elementary School.
Due to this, a lot of speculations had been made about the success of this young choreographer. Is he gonna be the next Val Lusada in the festival dance industy?

Surigao performance during sangyaw 2009 in Tacloban City

Bonok-bonok Surigao City contingent declared Sangyaw Festival 2009 Champ

The Bonok-bonok Mardjaw Karadjaw contingent of Surigao City walked away victorious from this year’s Sangyaw Festival after bagging the championship crown in the competition held Monday, June 29, 2009 in Tacloban City.

The Surigao City contingent brought with them P500, 000 as their winning prize. It was learned that prior to the competition, several contingents backed out upon learning that the Bonok-bonok festival of Surigao City joined the event.

In this years festival, the Banigan Festival from Basey, Samar was named as second prize winner with P300, 000 cash prize. The third prize winner was the festival from Santiago City in Isabela, the Pattaraday Festival: Araw ng Santiago, that won a P200,000 cash prize.

Also, special awards for Best in Musicality, Best in Costume, and Best in Street dancing all went to the Bonok-bonok Festival contingent.

Ms. Malou Tabal, City Tourism Officer of Tacloban in a radio interview extended her congratulations to the Surigao City contingent.

Maganda talaga ang Bonok-bonok festival, the costumes are very very colorful. Deserving talaga ang Surigao. Congratulations.

Tabal assured the Surigaonons that the city of Tacloban will also participate in the 2009 Bonok-bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival this coming September.

Meanwhile, Harold Antallan, choreographer of the Surigao City contingent thanked all the Surigaonons for their prayers.

Sa tanan mga Surigaonon na nag-ampo sa amo kadaugan, salamat karajaw sa ijo tanan. (To all Surigaonons who offered prayer for our victory. Thank you very much), Antallan said.

Tourists, neighboring townfolks and covering journalists were once again treated to a cultural festivity as Surigaonons showed off not only their rich culture but also their unique rhythm in Taclobans Sangyaw Festival 2009.

Bonok Bonok Marajaw Karajaw Festival tripple 9

The Bonok-Bonok Festival 2009 is about to set and Surigaonons are so excited about it since this will be held in the newly reconstructed Surigao del Norte Sports Complex on September 9, 2009. Expected to join this year's festival street dancing are contengents coming from Butuan, Mandaue, Gingoog, Tacloban, Camiguin, Davao, Leyte and Surigao del Sur. With much anticipation of the comeback of Surigao's best performing contengent like Tribu Karagan who had been champion over the past years in Kadayawan and Mantawi festival and the Tribu Inuwak who consistently enjoyed fame as the crowddrawer.