SAN MIGUEL, BOHOL: ISPADAHAY FESTIVAL

(Image and Info. credit to Municipality of San Miguel Facebook Page)
On the year 1993 the San Miguel Parish under the supervision of Rev. Fr. Floro Hinacay who then conceptualized and initially introduced the ESPADAHAN where the said activity was participated by some Barangay delegations under the leadership of the Barangay Pastoral Council.

Municipal Ordinance No.2, an ordinance declaring and adopting ESPADAHAN as an official street dancing festival of the Municipality of San Miguel and providing necessary support for its development marketing and pormotions of tourism was authored by the Late SB Member Mario Jala and co-sponsored by Incumbent SB Members Lorenzo Boncales and Moises Nuez. The said ordinance was considered to be ordained by the Sangguniang Bayan. The ESPADAHAN a the time shall be performed very once every three years spearheaded by ESPADAHAN Council. From 2001 ESPADAHAN festival was never been performed anymore.

As the Municipality sees its fast growing development not only on the infrastructure projects it has been decided that the cultural revival be given also priority. Thus, on March 24, 2009 a Festival Management Orientation Workshop was organized by the LGU and from some members of Sinulog Foundation, the team was headed by Engr. Junjet Primor with Victor Cuenco and Vince Escario. The one (1) day Orientation Workshop resulted to rename the ESPADAHAN for the reason that ESPADAHAN refers to a person and not to what really the description of the municipality that will fall into a FESTIVAL. Now, ISPADAHAY was born into existence with the support of the Resolution no. 075 series of 2009, Approving the Renaming of Espadahan to Ispadahay which means "ISAULOG AND PAGSADYA UG DARO SA KAHARUHAY', in English, 'TILLING LIFE...SOWING LOVE...REAPING JOY''. ISPADAHAY should follow the basic steps the: ISPADA, DAWAL(daro & bugwal), HALAD & PASALAMAT. The festival should be performed every May 8 of the year.

Ispadahay best describes that  San Miguel's main source of living in farming and that almost 100% of the populace depends on it. The Ispadahay Council was headed by no less than the very energetic project oriented and once awarded as the Most Outstanding Mayor of the Philippines by DSWD and Worldbank, Claudio C. Bonior, with the assistance of the Municipal Tourism Council chairman, Vice Mayor Jonathan T. Reyes and the person responsible to conceptualize the festival, Municipal Tourism Officer, Ms. Analyn Estella Lumactod.

Potential Tourist Destinations of Municipality of San Miguel, Bohol:

* The Langgam Cave
* The Bayongan Dam-considered the 3rd Largest Dam in the Philippines
* Masanao Hilltop and Restaurant