Basey’s Banig Festival 2008
The Municipality of Basey, Samar – formerly the mother-town to which Tacloban City once belonged ages ago – celebrated its town fiesta last September 28 & 29, 2009 with the Banig Festival Parade and Curacha Competition.
The popular Philippine banig mats, the local mat made of tikog – a grass reed variety – are made only in Basey. These popular banig mats are further made into baskets and other handicrafts which find their way to classy shopping centers not only in Metro-Manila but in other fashion capitals of the world as well.
We motored to the rustic town of Basey in Samar across the San Juanico Strait, a 45 minute drive from Tacloban City via the San Juanico Bridge, and witnessed the countryside celebration.
St. Michael the Archangel Church, Basey, Samar
Scenes from the Banig Festival Parade…
The longest banig is unfurled, hoping to land a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records…
The Mabaysays or Beauties of Basey ’08…
Curacha Dance Competition
View the full gallery (50 photos): http://callezaragosa.com/BanigFestival08-LRGallery/index.html
gerryruiz photoblog 
What a nice entry Man Gerry! Thanks for sharing this lovely photos of my hometown, love it! Nakakamiss dyan sa Pinas.
Thank for the photos. I am very impressed with your pictures. Thanks!
I was in that parade. I was walking behind the Balik-Bayans USA, Canada & Europe float. The photo that you took of the stage in the auditorium, the Balik-Bayan group was up in the stage. We were all wearing white T-shirts with the fiesta celebrants name on it.
Mano Gerry, kamakaruruyag man la daw hini nga imo mga litrato. Salamat hini nga ‘postings’.
Yo, Cris! Thanks for dropping by! The LSF guys sure miss you!
wow! thanks for your photoblog mr. gerry ruiz. you have such a good heart and talent doing all this stuff. congratulations for the good job! hope to see more for the year 2009 events! by the way, Miss. Mabaysay 1 is my niece, she looks beautiful in your digicam, hehehe. she’ll love to visit your blog if i tell her this. thank you for sharing with us all your pictures of samar and leyte! God Bless!
Most welcome, Michelle!
mr. gerry ruiz, what beautiful pictures. i’m from the town of basey and i’m proud that you have shot these. thank you.
i felt very proud when i saw this site, presenting basey, samar… i’m proud because i’m a basaynon. i will always treasure this beautiful place wherever i may go… even if i did not totally grow up in this place, i’ve always considered basey, samar to be home for me.
;gud job basey…god bless & MABUHAY!