The Beautiful Bansaulog Festival

Lively, educational, colorful, and awesome. These were the words used to describe the 58th anniversary of the municipality of Bansalan by those who came to witness the four-day event.
The celebration kicked off last September 15 and culminated on the day Bansalan was declared as a town 57 years ago on September 18. This year’s theme was: “Panaghiusa: Tuburan sa Pag-uswag” (Unity: Source of Progress).
The celebration is called Bansaulog (a combination of the town’s name, Bansalan, and saulog, the Visayan term for celebration). Several programs and activities were prepared by the local government and the private sector.
On the first day, people trooped to the municipal hall for the colorful and rousing opening and a jobs fair that was initiated by the local government in cooperation with the Department of Labor and Employment.
The afternoon was slated for farmers and those engaged in agribusiness. Benjamin Lao, named by the Department of Agricultural as one of the outstanding farmers for his coconut production, talked about organic farming. “We are committed to help preserve our environment,” he said. “We want to teach Filipino farmers the right way of farming through natural methods, one of which is by not using commercial fertilizer or pesticides.”
The following day, September 16, all roads led to Bansalan Central Elementary School for the drum and lyre presentation which the town is famous for. Five contingents from the elementary level and three groups from the high school level joined in the presentation. In the afternoon, students and bystanders witnessed the cheer dance presentation from five different schools - Marber National High School, Nazareth High School, Holy Cross of Bansalan College, Knowledge and Skills Institute of Technology, and Global Systems Institute of Technology - which was held at the municipal ABC Gym.
On the third day, the most anticipated event took place– the street dancing. Thousands of people – including foreigners – flocked to see the participants as they ramped, danced, shouted, sang, and performed in the town’s main street. Despite the fact that the temperature was soaring, it did not deter the people from watching the 12 contingents try to outdo each other.
But there was no competition among them. “We decided to get away with the competition,” explained Geraldine E. Batal, the town’s tourism officer. “Instead, each group is given cash incentive for its presentation.”
The following elementary schools participated in the street dancing: Bansalan Central, Villa Doneza Central, the elementary department of Holy Cross of Bansalan, as well as the elementary schools in barangays Kinuskusan, Mabuhay, Marber, New Clarin, and Rizal. The four high schools that participated were the Holy Cross of Bansalan College, Nazareth High School, Marber National High School, and Pedro Arches National High School.
Aside from Bansaulog, Bansalan also celebrates two other festivals every year: The town fiesta on the 8th of December, and the Sinulog of Bansalan every 15th day of January.
Bansalan used to be a barangay of the municipality of Santa Cruz. When Digos (now the province’s capital) became a town itself, Bansalan was part of it. On June 6, 1952, Bansalan was separated from Digos and under Executive Order No. 506, became a town itself. (In 1957, Matan-ao was created out of the territory of Bansalan. Ten years later, Magsaysay followed suit.)
Today, Bansalan has a total land area of only 20,770 hectares and is subdivided into 25 barangays. Sitting 72 kilometers south of Davao City, Bansalan is very accessible by land. The town is sandwiched between two cities: Kidapawan and Digos.
How Bansalan got its name is an interesting story in itself. The Provincial Tourism Development Plan shares this information: “Bansalan got its name from the one simple farmer named Bansalan who one day dug the earth in search of potable water to quench his thirst. Fortunately, he dug a spring which didn’t satisfy his thirst but also of his other companions. Rain widened the spring and the constant erosion of soil led to its formation into a creek, and later into a river. Bansalan did not live long. His companions, who were recipients of Bansalan’s labor named the river after him.”
The author, however, cannot corroborate the above information. However, some sources said that the name of the town was in honor of a Bagobo chieftain who used to own most of the land in the municipality.
Bansalan is the hometown of broadcast journalist Jay Sonza, bonsai expert Serapion Metilla, international singer Jojo Adlawan, national artist Salinta Monon, and Dr. Teofredo T. Esguerra (doctor of the climbers who made the historic Mount Everest expedition).
American Harold Ray Watson, a 1985 Ramon Magsaysay winner for peace and international understanding, used to work at the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center, which is located in barangay Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.