📄 Abstract
This study explored the historical and cultural background of Basao, a devotional dance associated with the Feast of Señor San Roque in Barangay Tiptip, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, and examined how the tradition is transmitted and preserved within the community. Using a qualitative descriptive design, six cultural bearers were purposively selected based on their knowledge, experience, and involvement in Basao. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, direct observation, field notes, and audiovisual documentation and were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Two major themes emerged: Basao as an Inherited Devotional Tradition and From Living Transmission to Vulnerable Cultural Continuity. Findings showed that Basao is understood by participants as an inherited devotional practice sustained through oral memory, family participation, healing- and protection-centered narratives, and annual observance of the feast of Señor San Roque. Participants’ recollections suggest that the practice was already observed by the 1950s, although its exact origin could not be established. Basao was primarily learned through observation, imitation, and participation with family members and community elders rather than through formal instruction. Participants also identified declining youth involvement, aging cultural bearers, and fading cultural memory as challenges to its continuity. The findings suggest that strengthening intergenerational participation, together with community-informed written and audiovisual documentation, may support the continued transmission and safeguarding of Basao while preserving its devotional meanings and customary practices.
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📚 How to Cite:
Rosaly C. Alturas, Bernarose A. Cadigal , BASAO AS A LIVING DEVOTIONAL TRADITION: CULTURAL TRANSMISSION AND PRESERVATION IN BARANGAY TIPTIP, BOHOL , Volume 12 , Issue 10, October 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 52 - 61 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra29121