Baliw-Baliw Festival of Barangay San Vicente in Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City (My Reaction)

It’s just recently saw a viral post of Baliw-Baliw Festival (In English means Crazy-Crazy Festival) of Barangay San Vicente in Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City in Philippines. I didn’t know that there are existing Festivity like this in Philippines until I read it and found that in facebook. I’ve never been in this place but I’m sure that the Island is nice and gorgeous. And it makes me curious about this disturbing Festivity celebrate this May 30, 2018.

I believe in my own insight that celebrating Festival is about being thankful for every blessing that we receive in our town, community and ourselves. Showcasing the beauty of life, the beauty of our place or town and receiving beautiful gifts from God. And celebrating by street dancing competition, Church mass, Showcasing Photos in City Museum and conducting beauty pageant searching for their Queen or Entertainment Show.

Showing how colorful and wonderful the History, the culture, the place and the people with love, smile and hope.
But recently the Baliw-Baliw Festival celebrates in unpleasant, disturbing and mocking way. Why? In this Festival men will cross-dress by wearing women’s clothes, bra’s and wigs. Some are carrying disturbing symbols, having animal fights (roosters, cats and kittens), and selling of cow poop in a plates.

And they sacrificing kitten, to be killed as symbol of tradition to avoid sickness for the people and calamities in their place. (How and Why do you think an innocent kitten can save them in sickness or calamities that might happen? In which that kitten deserve to live peacefully and being love and care).

Killing animals for bad reason is cruelty, because they deserve to live as well like us human, playing at them for fun and being part of festivity by hurting them is not good. Is this the act we want to showcase for young children or generation celebrating this way?

Animals need to love and care, it’s better to showcase how wonderful they are into our environment or being part as a gift of God. Mocking or making fun by cross-dressing makes people think that gays are evil, deserve to laugh for and degrade them. In which Philippines is Catholic country and yet not ready for acceptance for gays. It will set into their mind or peoples mind that it’s a funny thing and disgrace in which we rather showcase the respect of LGBT and have an open mind to understand them as long as they are happy and true to their self without hurting no one. And give them a space to live and not judging them in harsh way because we base on bible or insisting it’s a SIN. But to see them as a human and give more extra understanding that they deserve to respect and be sure that they are helpful into our community and good human being.

The way how these people think its fun shows that they are not educate for what will be the cause, the messages they sent to their audience or tourist even the social media.

Though upon reading some blogs and news this traditional Festivity celebrate way back 1900’s in which they don’t even track where it came from but the oldest resident of their town tell it’s an old culture celebrating it.
I guess the old festivity celebration is not like this, it’s just how people change it into our generation and celebrate it in wrong way or exaggerated with ignorance and stock that its fun and it’s ok to act crazy without noticing the cause and effect.

They literally CRAZY for doing this, I hope at the end of the Day the government municipality realize that they need to change the way how they celebrate it but to showcase more about positivity, kindness for boosting up encouragement into our young generations that we need to be thankful, productive, be creative and love our hometown or homeland. We need to lift and keep the RESPECT, loving our culture and accept CHANGES for good and learn to be sensitive as well. Let’s stop cruelty and educate our self and others that animals should be treated well and love them. They deserve to respect and care living into our huge world with care.

We need to be observant and also be a voice when were not able to tolerate wrong thing that hurting someone, somebody or others. And make good things louder than negativity or bad things.

All Photos was screenshot and grabbed by myself in some facebookusers who post this celebration. And currently the Government Official of Lapu-Lapu City deleted and makes some actions regarding this.

This is just only my reaction, opinion and expressing my thoughts on how I felt when I notice, discover and found this kind of issue regards the Baliw-Baliw Festival. Peace to all of you!

Love
-Rio