Local officials, led by Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal, Vice Mayor Bobby Cristobal and Councilor Vince Baltazar, dressed as pre-historic mythical heroes Baltog, Bantong and Handyong, lead the street parade of Ibalong Festival, Bicol’s biggest non-religious festivity. Now in its 26th edition, it is a popular recreation of a mid-19th century fragments of 60-stanza epic poem penned by Franciscan friar Bernardino de Melendreras about the ancient civilization of Ibalong or present-day Bicol. The almost-forgotten epic was given a new lease in life as a modern festival in 1992 by then Legazpi Mayor Imelda Roces to represent the resilience of the people of Albay amidst natural disasters that often hit the City. The 16-day extravaganza, composed of cultural, sporting, musical and various special events, culminated with the street theater presentation depicting the chapters of the epic legend, participated in by contingents from all over the Bicol region.
