PRESS RELEASE
PANDACAN,MANILA
JANUARY 10, 2009
Buling-buling a dance festival in Pandacan once again united two dissimilar churches, Roman Catholic and Iglesia Filipina Independiente for one perpetual call of change as it banners the theme: MAGKAUGNAY, Indak ng Pandacan para sa Pagbabago.
The said festival will be celebrated on the 17th of January and will be spearheaded by Samahang Sining at Kalinangan ng Pandacan (a branch of, Samahang Sining at Kultura ng Pilipinas) with the National Commision for Culture and Arts.
“Reviving old forms of art like dance is always a welcome effort especially in a country diversified by languages and ethnic background. Bringing back to our people’s consciousness, an almost dead art, is like breathing life into a unique tradition thought to have faded through the passage of time” said Cecile Guidote Alvarez, NCCA Executive Director.
“Buling-Buling has served the purpose of uniting two different religions—the Santo Niño de Pandacan Parish, a Roman Catholic Church and the Sto. Niño of Pandacan Parish, an Iglesia Filipino Independiente” she added.
The aforementioned has been celebrated since 1800 and was the only festival survived amidst the metro from that time.
It is a traditional dance of prayer in honor of Sto. Niño de Pandacan image, found by children playing near a carabao wallow in a pandan plantation. Through time, dozens of miracle took place attributed to the Sto. Niño, including the supposed total annihilation of the town in 1896.
Samahang Sining at kalinangan ng Pandacan on its 33rd year spearheads this more than a hundred year old tradition in the heart of Manila. This is also the group’s effort in escalating public awareness and participation for the town’s Tercentennial foundation come May 30 2012.
Contact:
Bobby Tomas
Mobile No. 09223799852/ 09157832586
sskpandacan@gmail.com
sskpilpandacan.multiply.com
