Kalatong or Karatong have dancers use kalatong or bamboo tube about a yard long, tied horizontally below the waist and struck by two sticks to tap the rhythm of the dance. there are two dances - The Tobong Kalatong, from Pangasinan, which is a ceremonial dance performed to frighten the evil spirits away.
Bunga Mangga, from Cuyo, Palawan, is a part of the Karatong in which dancers collect flowers from the mango tree - thus the bunga mangga contraption.
(Cuyo, Palawan) The annual parade of San Agustine includes the celebration of blossoming mango trees that grow abundantly on the island of Cuyo, the former capital of the Palawan province. Starting at the church patio and ending at the town plaza, groups of ladies sway their colorful "bunga manga," which are meant to represent the flowers of the mango tree while the men strike lively, syncopated beats with their karatong.
