The grandest performances of proud Cebuanos
This year's Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival of Festivals may be the grandest, but participants are continuously raising the bar and soaring high in their performances amidst their clamor to continue this grand annual event even beyond the term of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia who is strongly advocating the preservation of Cebuano culture.
Performers are thankful saying that this has brought great improvement in honing the talents and skills of the young performers and the innovation and creativity of the local choreographers aside from making them truly proud of their own identity.
The Pasigarbo sa Sugbo is the brainchild of Gov. Garcia way back in 2008 when it was first held as a competition with each municipality/ city competing for the best local products, floats and festival dances among others.
The Freeman columnist Valeriano "Bobit" Avila, in one of his columns, cited two of Gov. Garcia's major accomplishments that changed the course of Cebu history.
The first and perhaps the greatest, is her Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo, which later gave birth to the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival of Festivals that triggered a cultural rebirth in Cebu.
Avila said the Suroy-Suroy program ushered in tourism growth to include the far-flung areas of Cebu, where tourism was unheard of before. Now, you see tourists everywhere even in the farthest areas where tourism has changed the lives of the people.
Cebu now has at least 40 world- class festivals held annually in the different towns and municipalities and competing against each other in a colorful exhibition and showdown every August in time for the province's founding anniversary celebrations.
When it was first held in 2008 in time of the 439th founding anniversary of the Province of Cebu at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City, a least thirty- four ( 34) festivals participated.
These were the Barili Kaumahan Festival, Madridejos Isda Festival, Ginatilan Hinatdan Festival, Tuburan Tubod Festival, Alcoy Siloy Festival, Minglanilla SugatKabanhawan Festival, Bogo City Pintos Festival, Toledo City Hinulawan Festival, Sogod Panagsugod Festival, Bantayan Palawod Festival, Argao Pitlagong Festival, San Fernando Sikoy-sikoy Festival, Dalaguete Utanon Festival, Tudela Cassava Festival, Alegria Kawayan Festival, Carmen Sinamay Festival, Mandaue City Mantawi Festival, Consolacion Sarok Festival, Oslob Sadsad Festival, Daanbantayan Haladaya Festival.
Also one of those who joined the first Pasigarbo Festival were Poro Tagbo Festival, Liloan Rosquillos Festival, Talisay City Halad Inasal Festival, Carcar City Kabkaban Festival, Badian Banig Festival, Alcantara Bahandi Festival, Tabuelan Ani- anihan Festival, Pinamungahan Pamuhuan Festival, Aloguinsan Kinsan Festival, Dumanjug Sinanggiyaw Festival, San Francisco Soli-soli Festival, Santander Tostado Festival, San Remegio Lapyahan Festival and Danao City Karansa Festival.
The Palawod Festival of Bantayan emerged as the first grand champion in the ritual and showdown competition with P1 million in cash prize, twice the Cebu Sinulog's top prize at half a million pesos.
The 2009 staging of Pasigarbo sa Sugbo was said to be bigger and grander when it drew 38 festivals from all over Cebu.
The island paradise of Bantayan successfully defended its crown by winning the Pasigarbo sa Subgo 2009 Ritual and Showdown competition.
The third Pasigarbo sa Sugbo in 2010, despite a decrease in the number of participants down to 32, was observed to have a lot of improvements with contingents becoming more colorful and lively.
For the third time, Bantayan's Palawod Festival bagged the grand prize.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and other provincial officials along with Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., attended the event held as part of the province's 441st founding anniversary.
In 2011, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, who chairs the committee on tourism in the Provincial Board, said that the festival drew more participants and better performances from Cebu's towns.
" I know the dancers and the choreographers dug deep to find the artist in them really burning inside. We are seeing more of them assisting, not one but a whole fleet working together to make their festival outstanding," said Magpale in a speech opening the event at the CICC.
It drew 40 contingents, an increase from the previous year's 32 contingents.
Still, Gov. Garcia challenged the towns to continue "raising the bar".
This time, Kabkaban Festival of Carcar City won for their discipline and the overall impact of their dance, according to the judges.
Carcar City Mayor Nicepuro Apura said he was happy that they emerged as last year's champions and remembered telling Gov. Garcia in the previous year that they aim to win.
This year, the Rosquillos Festival of Liloan dethroned last year's defending champion, Kabkaban Festival, which earned second place in the grand showdown of festivals.
Former three- time grand champion Palawod Festival of Bantayan won most of the minor awards but only finished fifth in the grand showdown.
Bantayan won Best in Street Dance Competition; Best Decorated Audio Van, Best in Andas; and Best in Festival Costume.
Completing the top 12 are Isda Festival of Madridejos, Sarok Festival of Consolacion, Halad Inasal Festival of Talisay City, Kagasangan Festival of Moalboal, Dagitab Festival of Naga City, Sugat Kabanhawan Festival of Minglanilla, AniAnihan Festival of Tabuelan, Hinulawan Festival of Toledo and Panagtagbo Festival of Mandaue City.
Manila- based judge Douglas Nierras, artistic director of Powerdance Company, said that the level of performances and the production designs were very high.
Gov. Garcia said that it was the best Pasigarbo sa Sugbo she had so far. According to the governor, all presentations have vastly improved.
There were 31 participating contingents for this year's Pasigarbo.
These were the San Francisco Soli-soli Festival, Alcoy Siloy Festival, Ronda Panginabuhi Festival, Dumanjug Bisnok Festival, Sogod Panagsogod Festival, Borbon Silmugi Festival, Mandaue City Panagtagbo Festival, Tabuelan Ani-anihana Festival, Badian Banig Festival, Toledo City Hinulawan Festival, Medellin Katubhan Festival, Minglanilla SugatKabanhawan Festival, Argao La Torta Festival, Boljoon Bolho Festival, Talisay City Halad Inasal Festival.
Carcar City Kabkaban Festival, Sibonga Bonga Festival, Bogo City Pintos Festival, Carmen Sinulog sa Carmen Festival, Cordova Dinagat Festival, Danao City Karansa Festival, Liloan Rosquillos Festival, Malabuyoc Binuyokan Festival, Oslob Toslob Festival, Bantayan Palawod Festival, Naga City Dagitab Festival, Moalboal Kagasangan Festival, Consolacion Sarok Festival, Alegria Kawayan Festival, Tuburan Tubod Festival and Madridejos Isda Festival.
Pasigarbo sa Sugbo does showcases Cebuanos' talent and creativity and promotes tourism as well as local goods and products.
Many often compare it with Cebu City's Sinulog Festival but many say the two can definitely co-exist together.
Most of the young dancers could not hide their happiness and pride in being able to represent their municipality or city and show the rest of the world how talented Cebuanos are.
As they recall the joy of performing onstage and making Cebu proud, they expressed hope that Gov. Gwen Garcia will continue to advocate the preservation of the Cebuano culture and give importance to the world-class talents that have been honed and discovered because years ago, she believed in them and encouraged not only the performers' self-confidence but also their pride of being Cebuanos.-Gregg M. Rubio