Return of ‘Festivals of the North’ in 2009 assured
TOP CROWD-DRAWER, TOURIST ATTRACTION
Bigger prizes vowed
ALTHOUGH rained out, there’s no doubt that the “Festivals of the North” held at the city plaza will return next year as one of the top features and crowd drawers of the Dagupan Bangus Festival 2009.
Mayor Alipio Fernandez and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chair of the Dagupan Bangus Festival 2008 executive committee, said after mesmerizing the crowd no end on April 26, the ‘Festivals of the North’ will return next year, promising more and bigger surprises.
Mayor Fernandez said Dagupan notched another first with the crowd-drawing ‘Festivals of the North’ notwithstanding the inclement weather.
“It must therefore be continued to make it as a legacy for the future generations,” he said.
He said the competition drew top street dancers from various places in the north, giving visitors and residents the opportunity to witness and appreciate different customs, traditions and culture of different people.
Two teams were declared street dancing champions from among the 14 groups that participated.
The street dancers from Mapandan, representing the ‘Pandan Festival’, bagged the grand prize in the first category while Agoo, La Union’s street dancers, representing the “Dinengdeng Festival”, won the grand prize in the second category.
The organizers decided at the last minute to list two categories for the focal presentation at the city plaza as a result of the unexpected rains. The first category covered those who managed to perform before the rains and the other covered those whose costumes were drenched and performed on wet grounds.
But Mapandan went home with P20,000 more having been adjudged ‘best in costume’.
Placing second to Mapandan in first category was Laoag City with its rendition of the fishermen’s dance in the “Pamulinawen” Festival for P80,000. It also won P20,000 for being adjudged as ‘best in street dancing parade choreograph.’
The surprise decision of the organizers to award two sets of winners with the same prizes for each category, drew a loud applause from participants who numbered about 100 per team.
The board of judges was composed of big names in the entertainment industry to avoid suspicions of ‘hometown decisions”.
During the rain, the spectators at the city plaza did not disperse.
The participants, close to a hundred in each group, did likewise.
Trailing Laoag in Category 1 was host Dagupan City whose dancers topped the ‘Gilon-Gilon ed Baley’ during the Bangus Festival for the second runner-up prize of P60,000 while Umingan which fielded its champion in the ‘Kalansay, Payak-Manok Festival’ clinched 3rd prize with P40,000. Sto. Tomas, representing the Corn Festival, ranked 4th for P20,000.
San Fernando City trailed champion Agoo in Category II and won P80,000 with its winning performance in the ‘Pindangan Festival’, followed by Infanta representing the Mangga Festival with the second runner-up prize of P60,000. Villasis that represented the ‘Talong Festival’ bagged P40,000 while San Carlos City’s ‘Mango-Bamboo Festival’ clinched the 4th runner-up prize of P20,000.
An enthused Vice Mayor Fernandez suggested that future chairmen of the Bangus Festival should include the ‘Festivals of the North’ which proved to be a real crowd-drawer as a main feature.
For his part, Mayor Fernandez said he is keen on making the vice mayor the permanent chair of the Bangus Festival under his administration.
“The ‘Festivals of the North’ creates awareness about the different culture, customs, traditions and arts of the inhabitants of the region who belong to the same race,” the vice mayor said.—LM
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
