Coinciding with the celebration of the Feast of Sto. Niño across the country Saturday, Pandacan residents conduct their own annual festivity through the Bulig-Buling Festival, a traditional street dancing ritual. 

Since 2005, the Manila local government has adopted the festival as the city's official cultural identity.

The festival is held every third Saturday of January, in time with Pandacan's town fiesta. Residents have a strong devotion to the Sto. Nino which they consider as their patron saint.

This year, Pandaqueños belonging to Generation Z fill the streets while dressed in colorful Filipiniana. Many hold wooden images of the Sto. Niño while dancing and accompanied by marching bands.

Hanna Althea Raton, 20, from the Children Ministry of the Sto. Niño De Pandacan Parish has been participating since 2017. This year marks her 8th year as the leader of the ministry for the Buling-Buling Festival.

Raton says, “Usually ang kasuotan ng Buling Buling ay Filipiniana o kung anumang kasuotang Pilipino. Ang sayaw ng Buling-Buling ay usually may action ng pagsamba at pasasalamat. Meron ding part ng sayaw kung saan nagdadasal din kami. Nagrereflect po yung buong sayaw na yon sa kung paano kami magpasalamat at magpuri sa Sto. Nino through pagsasayaw.”

(Usually, Buling-Buling costumes are Filipiniana-themed or any attire with a touch of traditional Filipino clothing. Buling-Buling is usually a mix of dance movements of worship and gratitude. There is also a part where we pray. The whole dance routine is a reflection of how thankful and devoted we are to Sto. Niño through dance.)

Jarred Khairo Bugarin, 15, has been joining the festival for three years now. His devotion to Sto. Niño deepens every year as he dances with their patron saint during the street dancing event.

“Ang pagsayaw sa Sto. Niño ay nagiging dahilan ng patuloy na paglago at paglalim ng aking debosyon sa Mahal na Poong Sto. Niño. Sa pagkabata ko po, iminulat na po ako ng aking mga magulang at ng aking lola sa aking debosyon sa Sto. Nino. Ito po ay sayaw ng panalangin na sa bawat pagsayaw namin ay may kalakip po kaming panalangin at hinihiling sa Mahal na Poong Sto. Niño,” says Bugarin.

(Dancing with Sto. Niño paves the way for me to flourish and deepen my devotion. As I grow, my parents and my grandmother opened my eyes to the devotion to Sto Niño. This is a dance that every step has our prayers and wishes for Sto. Niño.)

One of the veterans of the Buling-Buling Festival, Erna S Alisos, 54, from the Parish Ministry of Greeters and Collectors has been active in the festival for 10 years now. 

However, the festival is not exclusive to Gen-Z'ers. Members of older generations continue to participale. One such person is 54-year old Erna Alisos from the Parish Ministry of Greeters and Collector.

 A festival veteran for over a decade, she says, “Ipinapakita po ng tradisyong ito ang pagkakaisa ng buong Pandacan bilang papuri sa poong Sto. Niño. Ang pinakagusto kong bahagi ay ang liturhiya, yung maikling misa sa ibabaw ng entablado kasi doon ipinapakilala kung ano ang importansya ng pista at kung sino ang poong Sto. Niño.”

(This tradition shows all ofn Pandacan's unity in worshiping Sto. Niño. My favorite part of the festival is the liturgy where a mass is held on stage and  the importance of the festival is discussed and who is Sto. Niño.)