A colleague shared the viral video of Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod (CSAB) education student Marifel Chavez performing her Binalaybay piece. At first I thought she was from the University of San Agustin-Iloilo (my Alma Mater) because of the stage background. But then I heard her mention the Lagoon in her Binalaybay and so I’m sure she’s from CSA-B so I immediately searched for her name.
Marifel Chavez is the 2014 Binalaybay Champion at the Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association (NOPSSCEA) Cultural Competitions. More than Marifel’s funny and engaging performance, listen to the message of her Binalaybay for the youth.
Binalaybay is a Hiligaynon poem which is now commonly heard from folks in rural Western Visayas towns but you would seldom hear from today’s teenagers especially in the urban centers. Hiligaynon is the language of most people from Panay Island and Negros Occidental. In Binalaybay, they use some Hiligaynon words which are not commonly used in daily conversations so some people may not understand them. It’s a good thing that NOPSSCEA is promoting our local literature so that the youth can appreciate our heritage.
From a fellow Augustinian, congratulations Marifel!