Sailing town of Leganes celebrates 13th Biray-Paraw Festival

Text and photos by: Bombette G. Marin

Leganes, Iloilo will celebrate the 13th Biray Paraw Festival from June 20-23, 2019.

The town offers immense opportunities for water sports, especially sailing. A unique attraction in this small, charming town, Biray Paraw in Leganes is a great way to explore and see up close its picturesque coastal area.

The festival highlights a day of skilled races and the traditional biray-biray or sailing. Biray provides visitors a totally different feel to the experience.

The annual festivity aims to boost Leganes’ reputation as an emerging marine tourism destination by improving the experience of visitors and promoting a variety of events and activities available around the town’s coast.

The local government, through the municipal tourism office, plays a big part in ensuring that the festival reaches its full tourism potential. The annual celebration will help grow the sailing tourism market in Leganes with all the benefits it brings, not only in terms of economic benefits but in terms of re-enforcing the town’s reputation as a sailing destination.

Leganes is among the top daytime destinations in the province of Iloilo and attracts tourists with its child-friendly inland resorts. The town is composed of 18 barangays that hold much wonder and adventure waiting to be discovered.

There are several little villages not too far inland from its exotic coastline just waiting to be explored. There are dense mangrove forest areas that can be explored through a number of pleasant walking trails.

Themed “Leganes Paraw, Symbol of Resilience,” a series of special events are organized daily starting June 20 (Thursday) with the Launching of “Malinis na Leganes” a Clean-up Drive at 8 a.m., Part 1 of Program in front of Municipal Hall and Part 2 of Clean-up Drive around the Plaza complex; June 21(Friday) for the Eco-Walk and Coastal Clean-up Program at 7 a.m., Foot Parade going to Barangay MV Hechanova at 7:30 a.m., Coastal Clean-up at 8 a.m.

June 22 (Saturday) Wattah! Wattah! Color Fun Run from the Municipal Hall to Jaen Beach Resort with Program starting at 6 a.m. with Color Fun Run to Jaen Beach and Fun Games, Wattah! Wattah! Program Pasundayag, Palumba Motor Boat, PalumbaParaw, BirayBiray! at 9 a.m., Free Live Jamming at Rianne’s Beach Resort at 6 p.m.; June 23 (Saturday) with Bike Fun Ride around the Municipal Hall to Sea Garden Resort at 6 a.m., Biray Biray sa Sea Garden, Search for Miss Biray Paraw 2019 at the Sea Garden Resort at 5 p.m. with Cocktail Party and Closing Program.

Leganes, a quiet but progressive town, is one of the 19 coastal towns of the Province. The town is subdivided into 18 barangays and shares a common border with Iloilo City.

This Fourth Class town is located along the Guimaras Strait, opposite the town of Buenavista in Guimaras. It is adjacent to the City of Iloilo in the south; bounded by Pavia in the southeast; Sta. Barbara in the west; and Zarraga in the north.

It has a total land area of 3,216 hectares populated by 32,480 (2015 Census on Population) Leganesnons. Market day is every Sunday. It annually celebrates its religious fiesta every 5th of April in honor of St. Vincent Ferrer.

To reach Leganes, one can take a 20-minute jeepney ride from Jaro Plaza, Iloilo City.

For more information, please contact Municipal Tourism Officer Jerry Anas at 09127721033.