By: Hannah Franchezka Boragay and Jay-R Nabor
ALBAY – The Ibalong Festival 2025 Grand Opening Parade in Legazpi City was meant to celebrate Bicolano heritage.
But when Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Alfredo Garbin Jr., Mayor Hisham Ismail, and Councilor Alan Rañola rode a “balsa” float carried by members of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity, the spectacle ignited a heated debate.
Was this a tribute to cultural heroes, or a misplaced display of political vanity?
While organizers claimed the float reenacted the arrival of the three legendary warriors from the Ibalong epic, many netizens saw it as tone-deaf and undeserved.
Critics flooded social media, arguing that true heroism demands more than ceremonial symbolism.
In the midst of the controversy, BicoldotPH sought insight from Bicolano historian Danny Gerona.
“The real question,” Gerona said, “is whether they’ve fulfilled their mandate.”
Gerona acknowledged the symbolic power of the Ibalong epic, which recounts the legendary exploits of Baltog, Handyong, and Bantong as they defended their homeland from mythical threats. Yet, despite his reservations about the epic’s historical accuracy, he emphasized that reenacting heroism is a privilege that must be earned, not assumed.
According to Gerona, honoring public officials in such a dramatic fashion is only justified if they have made a positive impact on their community, remained faithful to their duties, and avoided corruption and misconduct.
Garbin, for his part, dismissed the backlash as overblown. He explained in an interview with Brigada News FM that the float ride was part of a cultural reenactment, and that the fraternity had volunteered to carry it. “It didn’t disrupt anything or inconvenience anyone,” he said.
Fiction writer Abdon Balde Jr. backed the reenactment, calling it a homage to Bicolano heroism. In a Facebook post, he argued that the float symbolized the region’s reverence for its mythic protectors.
But netizens weren’t buying it.
One post comment captured the broader sentiment: “Who is willing to walk alongside the people and face the monsters of the present?”
Aldrin Alvarez Briones, a member of Tau Gamma Phi, defended the officials, claiming they were unaware of the plan and shouldn’t be blamed. This wasn’t about servitude or political worship, Briones wrote on Facebook, adding: it was about celebrating Ibalong, not elevating egos.
Still, Gerona’s message resonates: “Being an exemplar in itself is a form of heroism.”