Annual fiestas in Philippine towns are often an interesting blend of deeply religious activities like processions, Pontifical mass, and some cultural activities to add more fun, entertainment and colors such as carnivals, beauty pageants, and festivals.

        While other town festivals are anchored on agricultural products and delicacies, here in San Miguel, the festival depicts a folktale handed down from generation to generation. The Bathan festival is dance-play about the legend of a woman named Bathan who was kidnapped by Moro raiders, taken to Sulu, yet returned through the help of a crocodile named Bela.

        The Bathan Festival traces its history to a playground demonstration at the San Miguel Central School during the fiesta of 1967. Teacher Corazon B. Babiano initiated the presentation, with Jenny Lind N. Balais as the first Bathan. Eight years later or in 1975, the presentation resurfaced in the form of a play that teachers and students performed for the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the municipality. The play, based on the legend of Bathan and titled “Ang Istorya ni Bathan” was written and directed by elementary school teacher Yolanda P. de Veyra with Edita B. Poblete taking the lead role.

        However, it was only in 1996 that the play evolved and was officially organized into a municipal festival for San Miguel. This was prodded by a directive from the Department of Tourism for all Leyte towns to prepare a festival that will be presented in Ormoc City for the 1st Kasadyaan Festival on May 11 and 12, 1996 which was a project of then governor Remedios Petilla. A 257-strong contingent from San Miguel composed of dancers, musicians and propsmen who were students from all levels was sent to Ormoc City that year, led by Miss Erhma P. de Veyra as Bathan and Yolanda P. de Veyra as director. The Bathan Festival, with an allocation of P150,000, clinched the fifth place from among the nine contingents that came from Baybay, Carigara, Calubian, Dulag, Hilongos, Inopacan, La Paz, and Tanawan.

        Since then, the Bathan Festival became an annual event for the fiesta in San Miguel every September, participated in by contingents from different barangays and schools. People look forward to the festival especially the street dancing which always fill the town with dancers in colorful props and costumes.