Tawo Tawo Festival 2023

Bayawan City – Negros Oriental

Tawo Tawo Festival 2023 of Bayawan City was held last February 16, 2023. The street dancing and showdown were participated by seven groups. In celebration of the city fiesta, the festival plays an important role in both culture and heritage. It is an annual event that symbolizes gratitude for the bountiful harvest in the city of Bayawan.

The annual Tawo Tawo Festival was held February 16, 2023. A few years ago, the festival was a competition joined by different schools and barangays. However, since 2018 Bayawan decided to hold it as a presentation instead. This changed a few things, mainly in the performance of the dancers. While not everything needs to be a challenge and competition, the focus and effort of the dancers is simply not on the level like before, when the groups compete against each other to become the champion.

Brief History

The term “tawo tawo” means scarecrow. Bayawan City is known in the olden days, and until now, as one of the biggest producers of rice in the province. According to the festival’s history, Bayawan had a big problem in keeping the Maya birds from destroying their rice harvest. The bird infestation would lead to the town’s famine. Being a religious town, the people of Bayawan prayed to their patron saint, Santo Tomas Villanueva. A sign from above gave them the idea of creating scarecrows. Soon after, their fields were protected and the rice harvest grew more bountiful than ever. It saved the people of Bayawan from starvation.