‘Festivals of the North’ connects 3 regions
AT LEAST 20 towns and 10 cities have already confirmed their participation in the “Festivals of the North” street dancing competition, one of the major events of the Dagupan Bangus Festival scheduled on April 15 to May 1.
With this development, Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chairman of the executive committee of this year’s festival, announced that the competition has been divided in two categories, one for cities and another for municipalities.
More participants from Ilocos Region, Cordillera and Central Luzon are expected.
The “Festivals of the North” was first held in the 2008 Bangus Festival and proved to be a major attraction.
Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. approved the expanded “Festivals of the North” which will also offer bigger cash prizes. Prizes are P200,000 for first prize, P100,000 for second prize and P50,000 for third prize in each category.
Special prizes will also be given for the best costume, choreography and others categories.
Among those earliest to confirm their participation are the towns of Mapandan in Pangasinan, and Agoo in La Union, co-champions in last year’s competition with performance depicting their “Pandan Festival” and “Dinengdeng Festival”, respectively.
Baguio City, known for its Panagbenga Festival, and two delegations from Tarlac City have also confirmed participation.
Towns and cities participating in the “Festivals of the North” will be allowed to bring their own “One Town One Product” (OTOP) merchandise for sale in booths that will be provided for them.
Meanwhile, the 2009 Bangus Festival will open with another street dancing event, the “Gilon-gilon”, to be participated in by street dancers from the 31 barangays of the city.
Gilon-gilon as a street dance, depicting the harvesting of bangus, was first choreographed and patented during the Golden Anniversary of Dagupan cityhood in 1995, which was also chaired by Vice Mayor Fernandez who was then a city councilor.
Other features of the festival include the cookfest among the city’s restaurant chefs, Bangus Rodeo, Tunog bangus, Food Strip, Great Dagupan Day Sale, Bangus Street Party.
For the first time this year, a Pigar-Pigar Festival and Halo-halo Tama Lamig will also be featured.
The Bangusan Street Party, where six to seven famous bands from Manila are expected to perform, will be held at the newly-opened Jose R. de Venecia Highway Expressway Extension to accommodate a bigger audience.—LM
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
