83. ISABELA & BAMBANTI STREETDANCE IN GUINNESS

ISABELA & BAMBANTI STREETDANCE IN GUINNESS

Dr. Troy Alexander Gozum Miano

25 January 2019

I was teary eyed when our beloved province was officially recorded in the Guinness World Records as home of “the largest gathering of people dressed as scarecrows”. Being the head of the Secretariat for Bambanti Festival 2019, I was a witness how difficult and gruelling the process to secure a record in the world’s primary authority on the cataloguing and verification of a huge number of international records. The new world record was initiated by the father of the province, Governor Faustino G. Dy III together with Vice Governor Antonio T. Albano, the festival director Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Rolando L. Tugade, consultant on cultural and the arts affairs Leonilo D. Agustin, the provincial department heads and employees led by Atty. Noel Manuel R. Lopez, the mayors, cultural officers and production team of the 23 municipalities and two cities which participated in the feat.

Pauline Ann Sapinska, adjudicator for the Guinness World Records, exclaimed “You are officially amazing!” after proclaiming this evening the new world record set by the province known as “Sentro ng AgriKultura” (Center of AgriCulture) during the annual Bambanti Festival. Isabela province, the country’s top corn and mung bean producer, conducted this year’s Bambanti Festival Street Dance involving 2,495 Isabeleños dressed as scarecrows and danced for two hours, a colorful presentation that earned global recognition. Sapinska presented to the organizers an official certificate after witnessing the attempt and verifying that it met the organization's requirements. “Bambanti” is the Ilocano term for “scarecrow”. The two cities of Cauayan and Ilagan joined the cultural act including the 23 municipalities of Alicia, Angadanan, Aurora, Benito Soliven, Burgos, Cabatuan, Cordon, Echague, Gamu, Jones, Luna, Naguilian, Quezon, Quirino, Ramon, Roxas, San Guillermo, San Isidro, San Manuel, San Mateo, San Pablo, Santa Maria and Tumauini.

Aside from the Guinness, the Bambanti Festival was awarded as Best Festival Practices and Performance during the 28^th, 29^th and 30^th Annual Aliw Awards in 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively. On December 13, 2018, during the 31^st Aliw Awards, the Bambanti Festival was conferred the “Hall of Fame Award”. Aliw Awards was established in 1976 in Manila by the renowned Philippine journalist Alice H. Reyes, to recognize achievements in the live entertainment industry in the Philippines particularly in theatre, opera, dance, live vocal and instrumental shows.

Isabela’s mother festival was conceptualized on March 14, 1997 during the Isabela Provincial Culture and the Arts Council (ICAC) meeting convened by Governor (1992-2001) Benjamin G. Dy. Madam Cecile M. Dy, wife of the governor, and Dr. Constante B. Andres, Executive Director of the ICAC were instrumental in establishing Isabela’s mother festival but the full implementation was during the 156^th Isabela Day celebration in 2012 during the tenure of Governor Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III and Vice Governor Rodolfo “Rodito” T. Albano III, now Representative of the 1^st District of Isabela.

The net reveals that Guinness World Records, known from its inception from 1955 until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records, is a reference book published annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. The brainchild of Sir Hugh Eyre Campbell Beaver (1890-1967), the book was co-founded by twin brothers Norris Dewar (1925-2004) and Alan Ross McWhirter (1925-1975) in Fleet Street, London in August 1954.

The book itself holds a world record, as the best-selling copyrighted book of all time. As of the 2019 edition, it is now in its 64^th year of publication, published in 100 countries and 23 languages. The international franchise has extended beyond print to include television series and museums. The organization employs official record adjudicators authorised to verify the authenticity of the setting and breaking of records.

This is not the first time I witnessed Guinness in Isabela. On April 8, 2015, I was part of the parade as a passenger in one of the motorcycles that joined the longest parade of motorcycles with sidecars or tricycles. Representatives from the Guinness World Records officially declared Cauayan City as the new world record holder after counting 681 tricycles completing the parade – more than double the 317 motorcycles with sidecars of previous record-holder Beijing, China. The new world record was officially declared hours after the parade, which began at four in the afternoon on Wednesday. The City of Cauayan headed by Mayor Bernard Faustino M. Dy partnered with local motorcycle dealer Ropali Motorcycles, History, Honda and the Province of Isabela to pull off the feat. The successful bid was made during the Cauayan City fiesta, the Gawaygaway-yan Festival. Based on the Guinness World Records mechanics, motorcycles with sidecars must be fully registered and must be able to finish the route. A total of 685 vehicles were registered for the attempt but only 681 finished the route, as 4 units had engine and tire issues along the way.

After the 2015 motorcycle record, Governor Faustino G. Dy III remarked, “We are happy and thankful that the people are cooperating with our dreams and aspirations for our province and cities here. This is something the country should be proud of.” On this evening’s new record, Governor Dy said, “Isabela, this is for you”, as he received the certification together with Vice Governor Antonio T. Albano.