Inagta Festival 2019

Street Dancing & Showdown – Siaton – Negros Oriental

The Inagta Festival 2019 of Siaton concludes this year’s festivities in the province of Negros Oriental. It is the last festival to be celebrated in the month December. It is a festival that is rich in history, tribal dance, and culture. If you missed the street dancing and showdown, view the pictures below!

History of the Inagta

The festival revolves around a ritual that goes back though several years ago. In the mountains of Siaton, there lived a tribe called “Agta”. They believed in spirits, fairies and enchantments. The head chief of the tribe sent out a hunting trip to the magical forest with his men and his wife. While hunting, his wife was attacked by bad spirits in the form of animal. She was dying, and the only way to save her was to ask help from the “Diwata” or fairies.

However, there was one slight problem. The Diwata would only communicate with women. The chief was desperate and dressed himself with his wife’s clothes and confronted the Diwata. The magical fairy was convinced and gave him the antidote to cure his wife. Because of the bravery of the Agta tribe, this ritual dance as thanksgiving until today. It is not known as the Inagta Festival.

Inagta Festival 2019
Street Dancing & Showdown

The street dancing and showdown of the festival in Siaton was held on December 05, 2019 at the Siaton streets and Siaton covered court, respectively. The streets were filled with food stalls, trade fairs and Christmas decorations. The celebration of the festival is a perfect addition to the Christmas season.

The street dancing parade started around 1:30 pm in the afternoon. By three o’clock in the afternoon, all the dancers gathered at the covered court or gym of Siaton to perform their best moves. There were seven high school groups who performed for this year’s competition.

Overall, the Inagta Festival 2019 was a success thanks to the organization of the Tourism Office of Siaton. Special thanks to Mayor Cezanne Fritz H. Diaz and the different organizers for inviting the DC-Team to cover the event. Until next year. USWAG SIATON!