Surigao Norte celebrates Bonok-Bonok Festival

Surigao del Norte’s much-awaited yearly festival in honor of its patron saint, San Nicolas de Tolentino, is expected to be bigger, better and more exciting.

Surigaonons traditionally call it Bonok-Bonok, which originated as a tribal dance from the Mamanwa tribe of Surigao, depicting rituals for a bountiful harvest and good health.

Moreover, these traditional rituals are held as part of the people of Surigao del Norte’s thanksgiving and appeal for continued protection from any natural calamities that might affect their province.

The Bonok-Bonok dance usually starts with a slow beat and gradually picks up the pace as it goes faster, causing the dancers to go with the rhythm of the music using indigenous musical instruments.

This year’s cultural dance showdown and street dance contests are expected to have numerous participants from all over the country.

The Bonok-Bonok Festival is a display of various cultural and folk dances influenced by the unique mixture of Christian and Muslim traditions affecting the way of life of Surigaonons.

Around 100,000 spectators are expected to gather to witness the Bonok-Bonok grand parade that has now become a major tourist attraction of Surigao del Norte.

The Bonok-Bonok Festival will be highlighted by several events, including a fireworks display, the crowning of Mutya ng Surigao, two nights of live concerts, and the much-awaited Second Pasayan "Shrimp" Festival that would attempt a Guinness record for cooking one ton of shrimps, to be known as the country’s "Biggest Shrimp Cookout."