The Bambanti Festival is an annual celebration of the Provincial Government of Isabela that started in 1997. The Bambanti Festival is 2018 Aliw Award’s Hall of Famer for Best Festival Practices and Performance by being a three-time winner from 2015 to 2017.
Bambanti is an Iloko word for scarecrow, which the province considers as protection despite the common notion that it rouses fear. Created with colorful straws and grasses wrapped in farmer’s clothing, bambanti has always been the icon and mascot of the festival. (MDCT/MGE/PIA 2-Isabela)
