Above: Illustration picture of Gayong Gayong

The Philippines is rich when it comes to culture and the arts, and dancing is definitely one of them. There are five major influences when it comes to this: The Tribal dances, the Rural Folks, the Cordillera dances, the Spanish Influence and the Muslim dances.

Aside from the vibrant and effervescent contributions of the regional tribes, the Muslims have rich cultural dances that were adapted from the Javanese and Middle Eastern traders.

The Gayong-gayong is a playful Muslim dance which originated from the province of Aklan on the island of Panay in Capiz. In most rural areas that have get-togethers, they opt to use this dance which gives so much joy and pleasure – both to the dancers and the audience.

The story behind the dance states that “Gayong” is a pet name given to Leodegario. The legend and the words of the song tell us that Maisong (pet name of Dalmacio) and Gayong went to a feast which celebrates the death of a townsmate.

Masiong was known to have a healthy appetite. He found himself choking on a piece of Adobo and cried out: “Gayong! Gayong!” He was calling out to his friend for help. He needed Gayong to remove the bone of the Adobo that was stuck in his throat.

The dance depicts Maisong’s fondness for feasts in his province. The result of his gluttony, however, was help up to a lively ridicule. This dance contributes to so much merriment in representing to the feast-goers’ effort to try and find aid for the choking Maisong.