Pasigarbo sa Sugbo

August 29, 2009

Performers representing the Utanon Festival of Dalaguete show their own ritual dance during the final showdown held at CICC in Mandaue City. The group placed first in the Audio Van category. (Photo by RUDY LIWANAG)

Cebu, the Queen City of the South marks another milestone as it celebrate this month its 440th founding anniversary. Dubbed as “Pasigarbo sa Sugbo,” this annual street dancing and ritual showdown is part of a month-long celebration that showcases the mingling of varied religious and cultural dances of Cebuanos.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said 38 contingents out of Cebu’s 51 towns and cities recently gathered at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City to compete and exemplify their ingenious dances to the tune of their respective native songs.

Despite the warm weather, the contingents gallantly displayed their art pieces and colorful costumes during the street parade on to the grand showdown that determined who was the best from among them.

Governor Garcia explained that since the province of Cebu has many festivals to offer all year round, she decided to present them all together into one event.

“I saw how beautiful our festivals are, so I knew that if we could get them together to compete with each other, it would be good venue for tourism,” she said. “We want to show the different arts, products, and religious celebrations that we have in one special occasion and that is during our foundation day.”

Aside from being the regional business hub, tourism has become one of the focal points of the Cebu provincial government.

“This time we want to focus on tourism because Cebu has its own distinctive characteristics that can attract tourists. So, we push for tourism as we also push for awareness and appreciation and promotion of our own culture,” the governor added.

Famous among the myriad of festivities in the province are the Siloy Festival in Alcoy, Mantawi Festival in Mandaue, Haladaya Festival of Daanbantayan, Kadaungan sa Mactan of Mactan Island, to name a few. The famous Sinulog Festival which is held in honor of Señor Santo Niño de Cebu every January of the year is perhaps the biggest festival of the province. “Cebu is already the festival capital of the Philippines. But the quest for excellence in choreography and costumes has intensified through the years,” she admitted.

“I can say that Pasigarbo sa Sugbo is meant to show our inherent love for the arts, which, in turn, encapsulates the Cebuano’s pride. So our festival here is very ‘fantabulous,’ meaning fantastically fabulous,” she added.

Former president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Nestor Jardin, who was one of the judges in this year’s festivities, said Pasigarbo sa Sugbo is a good reflection of the varied cultures of Cebu. “Cebu is really a center for street dancing. The appreciation of the local heritage is best viewed by way of dancing,” he shared.

Jardin noted that the Palawod Festival of Bantayan Island stood out this year for its well-executed choreography, dedication, and level of performance, thus, winning for the town the grand prize of the Ritual Showdown.

The other grand winners are; Haladaya Festival of Daanbantayan in street dancing; Palawod Festival of Bantayan Island in best in costume; Ani-anihan Festival of Tabuelan in best in Andas; Utanon Festival of Dalaguete in best in audio van; and Haladaya Festival of Daanbantayan whih was named the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival Queen 2009. (Manila Bulletin)