A 2022 file photo of Joseph (middle) and guests including Limbang MP Datuk Hasbi Habibollah (left) donned in traditional Bisaya attire.
KUCHING (April 26): Sarawak Bisaya Association expects thousands of visitors at Pesta Babulang 2023 that will be held from June 2 to 4 in Limbang.
Its president Joseph Blandoi believed that the reopening of international borders will facilitate the travel of those coming from neighbouring countries.
“Even though the border was still closed last year, we still managed to attract more than 7,000 visitors to attend the festival,” he said in a statement today.
On this year’s festival, he said it will be special because it will also be part of the Sarawak’s 60th anniversary of Sarawak’s independence celebrations.
He revealed the theme “60 Taun Sarawak Merdeka: Babulang Jati” is also picked for this year’s festival.
The decorated raft of the Bisaya people.
“Apart from the buffalo race and the ‘Nakod Babulang’ cultural presentation, the festival this year will also feature the decorated raft event.
“As a river bank community, the rafts in the past were one of the main means of transportation for Bisaya people. During celebrations, we will decorate our rafts, and manoeuvre the river while singing and playing drum and violin,” he said.
He also said for the ‘Nakod Babulang’ this year, they aim to revive old Bisaya traditions such as ‘pancak’ and ‘batiap’ as well as bringing back the ‘makan bersila’ (traditional banquet).
File photo of a buffalo race.
According to him, the ‘Panglima Babulang’ competition will be added to the usual ‘Ratu Babulang’, ‘Puan Kebaya’, ‘gendang’ and dance competitions
Pesta Babulang means Harvest Festival in the language of the Bisaya community, an Orang Ulu ethnic group found in Limbang, (northern Sarawak), Sabah and Brunei.
The festival marks the end of the harvesting season and a bountiful harvest and welcomes a new farming cycle.