Andanar: Fiesta celebration keeps people grounded
Tapaz is a rural area miles away from Metro Manila but with its good agricultural land, green area and beautiful scenery, it brings comfort, kindness and grace to the people.
This is how Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar described the town during his visit for the town’s annual municipal and religious fiesta dubbed as “Patabang” festival.
“We move into a different horizon whenever we travel to a provincial destination. Life is so different from an urban life. And this is a homecoming for me,” he said before the crowd coming from all walks of life here and abroad who attended Coronation Night.
Andanar said “fiesta celebration is a tradition that keeps you grounded and reminds you of the sacrifices and hard work of our forefathers who went before us.”
The PCOO Chief was the guest of honor and coronation speaker during the highlight of the 10-day feast celebration in honor of its Patron Saint Jerome.
“Tapaz ang nagpaalala na ang buhay sa kabukiran ay maraming taglay ginhawa, kabutihan at biyaya,” Andanar said, pointing out that fiesta celebration here is a good symbol of development and peace because of the unity, strength and industry of the people.
Andanar said “provincial life is a center of a country’s memory, where our urges had taken root and from where we grow to be the productive people of our nation.”
Tapaz is one of the 16 towns in Capiz and has been classified as a first class municipality in the province, 55 kilometers away from Roxas City, the province’s capital.
“Natives are not just indigenous. Natives are
the images of the earth itself, the commonality of every culture created and character of what we are fundamentally. We are the repositories of each segment even if we eventually design our own individual legends,” he said.
The town is known for a small community of indigenous Panay-Bukidnon in barangay Tacayan which is home to Feliza, a binukot who has expertise in chanting the sugidanon, one of the most significant epic chants of the Western Visayas region.
The PCOO Chief also extended the greetings of President Duterte to the people of Tapaz, citing that “Sa araw na ito isa rin siyang tunay na katutubo ng lalawigan at nais niyang bigyan diin ang kanyang mga adhikain na patibayin at ipagpatuloy ang malawakang laban sa ipinagbabawal na droga, katiwalian at kriminalidad.”
On the other hand, Andanar commended Tapaz mayor Roberto Palomar for his effort and true leadership to make alive the Filipino tradition and culture through fiesta celebration.
He also said love for the people is important for the success of a leader, as it is only love that can bind the people and the leader. (LTP/ JBG/PIA6-Capiz)