SAMPAGUITA FESTIVAL UNREELS IN SAN PEDRO
SAN PEDRO, Laguna: The San Pedro Sampaguita Festival, recipient of a Guinness Book of World Record certificate for the longest fresh flower lei category, unreeled to an auspicious start on Monday with Mrs. Celia Diaz Laurel and son Cocoy, and Mayor Calixto Cataquiz of San Pedro City, and wife, San Pedro Tourism Council Chairman Lourdes Cataquiz, cutting the ribbon to open an exhibit of art works by local artists at the New Municipal Hall, this town.
Mrs. Laurel, who was the exhibit’s guest artist, displayed four of her valued collection of art works from the recently opened Salvador Laurel Museum, situated on the sprawling five- hectare family estate, in what is now known as Laurel Hills in Barangay GSIS. One of her paintings was a whole body portrait of Cocoy.
Known as the only festival in the country that honors the national flower, this 14th edition of San Pedro Sampaguita Festival is a 14- day celebration of local heritage, culture, arts and achievements, consisting of 32 events spread from February 11 to 24.
Mayor Cataquiz declared the festival open during its opening program at the municipal hall. In his opening day speech, he also announced the impending conversion of the municipality into º a component city of San Pedro.
Also on exhibit were the town’s strategic program, San Pedro Roadmap as well as handicrafts, art crafts and locally concocted food delights by trainees in the San Pedro Livelihood Open Training Center.
Festival director and San Pedro public information and tourism officer, Sonny Ordoña, said that the two- week festival’s theme is 250th of Christian Heritage, Moving Forward to a City of Pilgrimage.
It aims to highlight the 250th jubilee year of the San Pedro Apostol Parish founded in 1763 and the launching of the town’s major tourism program “San Pedro Pilgrimage City,” he added.
The festival’s cultural events are Mr. and Miss Young San Pedro, street dancing competition, cheer dance competition, mardi gras of public and private elementary students, inter- school battle of the bands, mascots and cosplayer motorcade and the Sampaguita Festival Grand Parade.
Religious activities include the traslacion of the chairmain of St. Peter, 250th Mass anniversary, grand procession and a liturgical concert. The sport events are the San Pedro pilgrimage city, 10- mile run, Alay kay San Pedro Fun Run, movie actor ’s basketball exhibition game and the funfilled stiletto, boxing and basketball game by the town’s gay groups.
The pilgrimage city will have a church lunch in a Mass by His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and a public launch during the mayor’s night where Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez and Undersecretary Mark Lapid, have been invited.
This event will also include the awarding of the San Pedro residents’ top 10 taxpayers who have extraordinary achievement in various fields of endeavor.
ROSELLE S. AQUINO