Every month of August 30, the municipality of Isulan conducts the Hamungaya Festival to celebrate its foundation. Isulanons believe that the wealth of arts and culture is expressed in many forms and in so many kinds. The festival showcases skills and talents in literary, musical and cultural aspects of the constituents both young and old.
The Hamungaya also depicts the thanksgiving festival of its residents who are mostly engaged in agriculture. This includes rice and corn farming, vegetables and crops production including the famous African palm which has contributed a lot to the utilization of its by-products as construction materials – the uniquely woven ”kalakat” known all over Mindanao.
The festival is divided into two parts: the first part shows the different activities being done in the farm. After which a thanksgiving is performed for their good harvest. The second part shows the merrymaking in the form of dance using different properties and materials that make it very festive.
As a whole, the Hamungaya Festival actually expresses life itself or deep-seated emotion communicated by the emotions of the human body blending with the music. The flow of body movements, the sound of the music and the grace with which the dance is executed all build up the story or emotions being communicated.
No doubt, this is a unique form of art, and along with other activities or talent being displayed during festivities, it is a contribution to the dreams of establishing solidarity among the peoples in the province of Sultan Kudarat.
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