Himala sa Buhangin festival brings jobs, boosts local economy

A 4x4 race in last year’s Himala sa Buhangin. Alaric Yanos

By Jennifer T. Pambid

PGIN-CMO

As the Himala sa Buhangin festival continues to prosper on its third year, the biggest and most recognized outdoor arts and music festival in the north is again set to provide more employment opportunities for the locals of Ilocos Norte.

Himala sa Buhangin features Ilocos Norte’s sand sports adventures such as the 4X4 racing competitions, sand castle making, sand boarding and zorbing as well as music performances and art installations by various local and international artists.

Behind the live entertainment and exciting activities, several retail stores, food establishments as well as the construction force and hospitality industry get a big boost yearly as the festival takes place in the vast land of Paoay Sand Dunes.

Marcelo Bacud, 58, in-charge of the construction of the massive art installation by international Filipino visual artist Leeroy New, said that up to 30 laborers from Brgy. Nagbacalan, Paoay, Ilocos Norte benefit from the construction yearly.

For the past two years, the said locals worked daily for one month for the construction of the giant masterpiece dubbed as ‘Chrysalis’ which is made mainly of bamboos and other indigenous materials.

Bacud and his co-workers were thankful for their job opportunities through Himala because “when we have no work for Himala, majority of us fish in the sea or search for construction jobs around the area.”

He also shared that their jobs for 30 straight days are a big help for each of their families especially for sustaining their daily needs as well as in supporting the education of their children.

The Provincial Tourism Office also reported a significant increase of tourists visiting the sand dunes throughout the year to experience 4X4 riding, sand boarding and other sand sports activities.

Food stores, souvenir shops and inns nearby also grew in order to accommodate over 300,000 tourists visiting the province during holy week alone. Last year, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte recorded over 1.5 million tourists during the summer season.

Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos said this growth in tourism “unlocks jobs to bring not mere growth, but genuine, transformational jobs-rich growth.”

Miracle amidst the sand dunes

For the past centuries, the vast area of Paoay Sand Dunes was considered a ‘misfortune’ for the province because the locals cannot use the land for agriculture until the multi-awarded movie ‘Himala’ featured its film potential in 1982.

It was in 2012 when Ms. Marcos organized the Himala sa Buhangin festival aiming to highlight the potentials of Paoay Sand Dunes in the film industry as well as in conducting various sand sports activities.

The festival is one of the major events of the La Milagrosa Provincial Fiesta in honor of the patroness of the province, La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc.

Last year, the town of Paoay has been recognized as the ‘Center of Film Tourism’ in the Philippines following the unveiling of the life-sized statue of Elsa, the iconic character of Nora Aunor in the film ‘Himala.’

“Before, the folks in Paoay would cry over these sand dunes because they couldn’t farm there, but movie directors here and abroad love it. Tourists are fascinated as well that 4X4 rides and sand boarding start to provide income to the people. Indeed, this is the true ‘himala’,” Ms. Marcos said.

Aiming to draw more than 10,000 tourists, this year’s Himala sa Buhangin! Festival is happening on May 2 which will highlight avant-garde installations and the unveiling of sculpture of Flavio, the iconic character played by Fernando Poe Jr. in the film series ‘Panday.’