SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — Antique’s Binirayan Festival is set to add a major historical storytelling element this year as a new tableau brings the Confederation of Madja-as to life, highlighting the province’s cultural heritage and the traditional account of the arrival of the Bornean datus in Panay.
According to the Philippine News Agency, the tableau will be among the new features of the 2026 Binirayan Festival, which will run from December 1 to 23. The festival’s major highlight on December 15 will feature a reenactment of the arrival of the Bornean datus at the shores of Malandog in Hamtic, Antique.
Bringing the Confederation of Madja-as to the Festival Stage
Engr. Bernie Salcedo, consultant at the Office of the Provincial Tourism Officer, said during a press conference that the Confederation of Madja-as is presented as a pre-colonial confederacy associated with the 10 Bornean datus who, according to the traditional narrative, settled in Antique.
The tableau is intended to depict the unity of these datus and their role as rulers in Panay. The traditional account further describes Panay as being divided into three “sakups” or political districts corresponding to areas now known as Antique, Aklan and Iloilo.
The festival presentation will also include a symbolic torch-lighting ceremony involving provincial government officials, followed by a pledge centered on unity and the continued development of Antique.
A Festival Built Around Antique’s Heritage
The Confederation of Madja-as tableau is part of a wider lineup of cultural and tourism activities planned for this year’s celebration.
Tourism Promotion Officer Celestino Dalumpines IV said the provincial government has allocated ₱17 million for the festival. Activities are expected to include a food festival, exhibits or Pasundayag featuring Antique’s 18 municipalities, a bamboo summit, and the search for the Datu and Lin-ay of Antique.
The festival will also feature the Malay-Ati tribes competition, with the winning tribe expected to participate in Dinagyang Festival 2026 in Iloilo as a non-competing tribe, according to provincial tourism officials cited by PNA.
More Than a Celebration of the Past
The new tableau gives Binirayan another way to present Antique’s history through live performance, allowing traditional narratives about the province’s origins to become part of a contemporary cultural festival.
At the same time, historical accounts surrounding the Bornean datus and the Confederation of Madja-as are commonly discussed as part of Panay’s traditional origin narratives, including stories associated with the Maragtas. Presenting them as cultural tradition rather than treating every element as independently verified modern historical fact helps distinguish heritage storytelling from historical documentation.
For Antique, the 2026 Binirayan Festival is therefore shaping up as both a celebration of local identity and a platform for showcasing the province’s cultural traditions to visitors.
With the Confederation of Madja-as set to take center stage, the December celebration will give audiences a dramatic look at one of the stories deeply woven into Antique’s cultural identity.
WWC ONE MEDIA G.A
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