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Friday, September 02, 2005
Serna: Lechonfest, anyone?
By Roger Serna
Sounds and images
The new festival was still on its launching phase, yet Talisay City showed how to do it with a bang! Just last month, the young city launched another festival to spice up its annual fiesta celebration in honor of Sta. Teresa de Avila.
While it already has the Halad Festival, launched just a few years back, the city launched the Inasal Festival (under the leadership of Councilor Shirley Belleza), focusing on the delectable dish that made the local government unit famous since it was still a bustling municipality.
A holy mass and a motorcade preceded the launch rites held in front of the imposing city hall in the presence of Mayor Soc Fernandez and other city officials and guests.
Gov. Gwen Garcia delivered an inspirational message and tasted the crispy skin of the lechon right in front of the spectators. PB Member Agnes Magpale, who chairs the provincial committee on tourism, was also present.
Rep. Eduardo Gullas, because of an equally important and urgent task as legislator had his message delivered on his behalf by a youth leader.
Four contingents gave the spectators a sample of how the festival is going to be done come Oct. 15. The launching not only gave a preview of the newest festival in the province but also gave out big cash prizes, that early, to the participating groups.
The group composed of the employees of the city grabbed the first prize. The bulilits of the Talisay City Elementary School showed that big things can also come in small packages by running home with the second prize.
The third prize was shared by the Talisay City College and the masculados (with a touch of unwanted poundage here and there, ha-ha!) of the national government agencies stationed in the city.
The board of judges was composed of Junjet Primor, Helen Grace Abao and Victor Cuenco, all experts in dance and production numbers.
In the press conference that followed, Fr. Joe Tajanlangit and the DepEd people explained that the two festivals will complement, and not compete, with each other since the Halad fest will focus on the socio-religious aspect while the Inasal fest will delve on the socio-cultural side of the celebration.
Hon. Belleza also disclosed that due to time and budgetary constraints, the planned long line of lechons, which was earlier aimed at getting a Guinness world record entry, was scrapped.
Don’t worry, you still have many chances for that dream to materialize in the future, Hon. Shirley. Just take your time.
Meanwhile, a good 16-day program has been prepared for the annual fiesta celebration kicking off on the first day of Oct. and ending on the 16th.
***
The past week was rather depressing in some ways. This columnist had been notified and attended at least three wakes and interments of people that have somehow touched my life in one way or another.
These were those of a cousin, a godmother and the son of a friend. Yes, some tears did manage to trickle down and, in a way, relieved the emotional congestion felt deep inside.
Times like these remind us of our own mortality and how fleeting life can be. Likewise, it also gives us the impetus to make the most out of life and do good things, not for others to remember us by, but for our own sake as we face our creator in the afterlife.
Sad. Anyway, in the interment of George Aznar Jr., the son of former PB Member George Aznar, yours truly witnessed a gathering of many good-looking mourners including the former Jeannette Laxamana -- the deceased’s mom, aunt Alma Moreno, cousin LJ Moreno, Gerald Madrid (yes, the movie-TV stars, who else?) and Vince Borromeo, among others.
Many blood relatives and friends present were also star materials themselves, if you ask me. Yours truly, because of the solemnity of the occasion and the prevailing somber atmosphere, set aside my camera and just made use of my eyes and mind to document the experience.
(September 2, 2005 issue)
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