Lambunao takes pride in its vibrant and glamorous festival – Binanog Festival. Like the other Santo Niño celebrations in Iloilo, Binanog is an annual celebration every January in honor of the infant Jesus.

Binanog – The Dance of the Hawks!

The dance is an imitation of the movement of the "Banog" or hawk. Realizing that their grown chicken were slowly disappearing, the Lambunaonons forefathers, who then were living in the mountains, went into the depths of the forest. As they went along, they saw a male and a female hawk chasing each other. In their awe of watching the birds, they imitated the birds' movements which they termed "Binanog". From then on, the said movement became a dance and was handed down from one generation to another. It is also known to the villagers as "Dinagmay" or "Inagong Sayaw-Sayaw", a dance of love and courtship.

Binanog – The Festival!

The practice of the Binanog dance is adapted and has become an annual activity famed to be the Binanog Festival. It is the most highly developed art of the town; it means a pool of dance by the people in Hinterland of Lambunao. On the day of the festival, townsfolk gather in the plaza to witness the celebration. One much awaited event is the street dancing where the tribal contestants are clad with colorful costumes and dance the Binanog with their own creative touch. Some Binanog dances are the Binanugan, the dance depicting the movement of the birds; the Inagong Sayaw-Sayaw, a celebration dance; and the Dinagmay, the courtship dance. The Binanog dance is accompanied by the lively beating of the drums, bamboo instruments, and other native instruments.

Binanog – Lambunao’s Pride!

The rich culture and tradition of the city can not only be traced in its natural wonders or famous attractions, but also through its legendary Binanog dance that was creatively and artistically transformed into a major festivity of the town. Through the years, the festival draws infinite crowd and spectators coming from the nearby towns and even faraway places to catch the every detail of the event and be part of the history of such a great festival that pictures the Lambunaonons' religious devotion to the Sr. Sto Niño and the importance of Binanog dance.

How to get there

Air Philippines, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and ZestAir have a direct flight going to Iloilo from Manila. The cost of ticket is around 1,500 – 2,000 pesos. Then, you can take a taxi ride going to different town of the province. If you want to travel by sea there are also available routes from Manila going to Iloilo.