Cast in the mold of the classic Greek mythology "Clash of the Titans," Ibalong tells about its three legendary heroes – Baltog, Handyong and Bantong – who with their Atlas-like strength rid Bicolandia of beasts and helped it attain its golden era.
These warriors cultivated the land and vanquished the dreaded beasts which sowed terror among the populace. With the land rid of beasts, the leaders turned to establishing a government and a justice system, followed by an age of discovery and invention which helped the civilization flourish.
The epic was written in Bicol by Melendreras who was inspired by the accounts of a wandering minstrel in Albay, regarded as the "bard" or Homer of Ibalong for being a fountainhead of folklore and indigenous history.
Spending his missionary years in different parishes across Bicol, the Spanish priest also wrote other poems, including "Tacay" and "Gat Ibal" based on local legends.
Ibalong first got into mass exposure in the early 1900s when editor Wenceslao Retana compiled and annotated the fragments of the poem in the book "Archivo del Bibliofilo Filipino."
The original Spanish manuscripts are preserved at the Archivo Franciscano Ibero Oriental in Madrid which officials of Legazpi City dream of acquiring reproductions in the future.
In October 1992, the late mayor Imelda Roces staged the maiden edition of the festival to rescue the valuable epic from the dustbins of history and make it a source of pride for the people of the city and the whole region.
The tradition was continued by her successor, Noel Rosal, who helped transform the fledging event into one of the most-sought after cultural festivals in the country.
According to Legazpi Mayor Geraldine Rosal, Ibalong puts to the fore the Bicol’s rich pre-colonial culture to remind Bicolanos of their noble beginnings.
She said that in transforming an almost-forgotten legend into a colorful festival, the city has put a visual touch into it to make it more understood and appreciated by the people.
Source: Malaya
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