A major cultural and religious festival, the name for the city's fiesta has seen several metamorphosis in recent years--resulting to weak image-branding, noted businessman Ruben Vegafria, who now heads the 2007 fiesta committee.
Last year, it was called "Tsada Cagayan," as it was called in different titles in the previous years--depending largely on the whim of the chairperson handling the event.
Under a fixed name, Vegafria said the Kagay-an Festival will be able to establish its own image comparable to Cebu's Sinulog or Davao's Kadayawan, be more culturally relevant, and draw more tourists each year.
While it's wrapped under a new packaging, the Kagay-an Festival will still retain its original facets, only that the accredited fiesta activities are more attuned to tourism promotion, said Promote CDO President Rodolfo Meñez.
Promote CDO, a non-government organization (NGO) which the City Government has authorized to oversee the month-long feast for seven years, launched the festival's brand new image Saturday.
Under a private sector-led initiative, Meñez and Vegafria said Promote CDO hope to maximize the festival to promote the city's tourism potentials.
One of the tangible changes the group has introduced to the fiesta is the renaming of the Miss Cagayan de Oro pageant to Miss Kagay-an Tourism.
It has also listed four other "crowd-drawer" core-events, such as the first golden float competition, river festivities consisting of various water sports and the fluvial parade, the Agro-Industrial trade fair and the traditional street dancing contest.
And while the City Government's role in the festival has been significantly reduced, it will still actively coordinate with and assist organizers, said City
Tourism Officer Emma Rae Gatuslao. The festival falls every August, climaxing on the 28th.
