History of the Paraw Regatta Festival
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The first Paraw Regatta Festival was held in 1973. The name of the festival comes from “paraw”, referring to the double-outrigger sailboat, and “regatta”, meaning a boat race on water. The festival is held with the aim of preserving the historical value of the paraw boat and the skills of the boatmen.
Features of the Paraw
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The paraw is a traditional Visayan boat. It is characterized by a pair of outriggers (katig) supporting a wooden hull (bangka), and it is propelled by wind caught in its sail (layag). Its sleek, slender shape makes it suitable for navigating on water due to its speed and it can be used for transporting goods and tourists between islands.
Activities at the Paraw Regatta Festival
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The centerpiece of the festival is the Paraw Race. The race course is 36.5 kilometers long across the Iloilo Strait along the coastlines of Panay and Guimaras islands. The participating boats are classified based on the length of their hulls and further classified based on whether their sails are “unsainted” or “painted”. The sails are painted with colorful designs.
The Paraw Regatta Festival is not just a boat race, but also a diverse cultural event with other activities such as a sail-painting contest, miniature boat race, rowing competition, and fishing contest. With all these, it’s no wonder that the Paraw Regatta Festival is considered the largest and oldest boat racing festival in Southeast Asia.
