LEYTE province will showcase its best cultural-religious celebrations in the upcoming Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals.
Although only five contingents are joining the parade and ritual presentations on June 27, some of them were champions in previous competitions.
Joining this year’s festivals are the Tribu Buraburon of Burauen, Leyte; Heraite of Leyte, Leyte; Sanggutan of Barugo, Leyte; Tribu Pasaka of Tanauan, Leyte; and Solosogui of Balangiga, Eastern Samar.
Tribu Buraburon was last year’s grand champion of Pintados-Kasadyaan and the winner of Aliwan Fiesta 2018 in Pasay City.
Groups from the towns of Tanauan and Barugo were champions in the past province-wide competition.
Palo, Leyte Mayor Remedios Petilla, Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival executive committee chairperson, said some local government officials backed out of the contest due to budget constraints and lack of preparations.
“All contingents wanted to win. They don’t want to join the festival if they’re not well-prepared. For this year, dancers from these five festivals are ready to awe spectators,” Petilla told reporters during a press briefing at the RTR Plaza Friday afternoon, June 15.
Petilla is optimistic that showcasing local festivals is an effective way to attract tourists, as it presents local culture and history through ritual dance, music, and merry-making.
“Towns with much improved festivals attract visitors during fiesta. People who are in Manila and abroad are proud of their festivals and share photos in their social media accounts,” Petilla said.
Now on its 23rd year, the Leyte Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals brings together the diverse, vibrant and colorful festivals from the different towns in the province of Leyte and other participating festivals from its sister islands of Samar and Biliran, as well as other provinces in the Visayas.
It is one of the most awaited events of Tacloban City’s fiesta celebrations this month in honor of its patron, the Señor Sto. Niño de Tacloban.
Leyte’s festivals have brought fame and fortune to various champions, among them the Buyogan Festival of Abuyog, Burauen’s Buraburon, Tanauan’s Pasaka Festival and Lingganay Festival of Alang-alang, having bested other festivals in the country and emerged as champions in such prominent festivals as Sinulog of Cebu and the annual national Aliwan Fiesta - Battle of Festival champions in Manila.
On the other hand, the Pintados Festival was first celebrated on June 29, 1987 when a group of businessmen belonging to the Pintados Foundation Inc. came up with this event to showcase Leyte and Samar’s early tattooed inhabitants called Pintados, and their rich cultural heritage and indigenous music and dance.
For Pintados, seven contingents are joining the smaller festival, mostly from Tacloban City and nearby towns.
In 1998, the Pintados and the Leyte Kasadyaan were merged into one big attraction called the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals. (PNA)