Maradjaw Karadjaw, Surigao’s Bonok Bonok Festival
With its 17 idyllic islands, Surigao City will not be called The City of Island Adventures for nothing. It is a haven of leisure and fun, and this place doesn’t know the words plain and boring; it deserves more to be called grand, lively, and jaw-dropping. You can experience fantastic white-sand beaches, mystical caves, enchanted rivers, mangrove forests, and underwater sceneries here. You will not run out of things to do in The City of Island Adventures.
Bonok Bonok Festival
Part of the locals’ tradition is celebrating the beauty and abundant blessings of their city’s nature. With this, like the other cities in the Philippines, they celebrate festivals. Numerous festivals are celebrated in Surigao City, including the Sakay-Sakay Abayan Festival. This fluvial procession is a tribute to the Patron Saint of Bilang-Bilang, Virgen de la Paz Y Buen Viaje, the Patroness of Good Voyage. The other is the Tilaw Food Festival, a food festival showcasing the different Surigaonon dishes and the city’s pride, and the award-winning cultural-religious festival, Bonok-Bonok Festival.
Bonok-Bonok is what the city is most well known for regarding festivals. Happening every 10th of September, Bonok-Bonok Festival is celebrated through a colorful street dance competition by different municipalities. It originated from the early settlers in the town, the Mamanwas. Bonok Bonok Festival is also a tribute to St. Nicholas de Tolentino, the city’s patron saint. And when we say street dance competition, the street dancers will not dance hip hops in their modern clothes. They will dance from slow to fast traditional music, wearing their saya and barong, headdresses and other props.
The performers of the Bonok-Bonok Festival are a sight to behold. The beautiful and unique street dancers of Bonok-Bonok will leave you speechless with their incredible talent. Their striking beauty and extraordinary performances can be witnessed by just standing on the streets with friends.
Surely, experiencing the Bonok Bonok Festival will give you a memory to keep in your lifetime. You can witness here the talent of the locals, beautifully expressed as they dance and interpret their faith, culture, and tradition. And just by simply watching them dancing gracefully and shouting chants, you can already educate yourself on how passionate Filipinos and the people of Surigao are in upholding their traditions and roots as an individual.
Lastly, we all kinow that festivals are usually coined with another great experience- food! You can try street foods or delicacies in Surigao City. The city is most known for its seafood, so you better get your hands on some of it while undergoing this fantastic experience at once.
Here are some of the best places to eat and experience the flavors of Surigao City.
There’s so much to see and do in Surigao City — you’ll be hooked within seconds of landing on the ground. From exploring its natural beauty, through traditions that date back centuries ago; it has something for everyone!
The unique culture of Surigao City is a joy to discover, and it’s an experience that will make you appreciate your individuality more than ever before.
