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Friday, August 25, 2006
Sibonga honors past mayors
By Minerva B. Gerodias
Sun.star staff reporter
The Municipality of Sibonga celebrated its town fiesta this month by honoring its chief executives, past and present.
The town celebrated its fiesta in honor of saints Nuestra Señora del Pilar and Sta. Filomena last Aug. 8 and 9.
In the Yukbo-Pasasa-lamat last Aug. 8, a video was shown about the achievements and accomplishments of the town’s past and present town mayors.
Mayor Nestor Ponce told Sun.Star Cebu it was his brother Noel, a physician, who did much of the research work for the tribute. Noel’s research lasted for five years, a work he enjoyed as history has always been his passion, he said.
Noel said one way to appreciate a town is to know its history.
Noel is the president of the Sibonga Historical and Cultural Heritage Society, which was launched in 2004.
The mayors honored were from the Spanish era, the American and Pre-war era, the Commonwealth era, the Japanese occupation, the immediate post-war era and the Third Philippine Republic.
Former governor Pablo Garcia represented his daughter Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia as the event’s guest of honor and speaker.
10.
Bonga festival celebrates Sibonga’s ‘abundance’
Legend says Sibonga got its name from “bonga” or betel nut that belongs to the palm family that is abundant in the town.
It is a story common to most towns. During the Spanish time, a Spaniard reportedly asked a native what’s the name of the
place. The native, chewing a betel nut, thought the Spaniard was asking what he was eating. The native replied “bonga.”
The Spaniard said, “Bonga?” The native, who only knew one Spanish word, answered, “Si,” or yes.
Sibonga is a fourth-class municipality with 25 barangays. It lies some 50.7 kilometers south of Cebu City. To its south is Argao town, to its north Carcar.
Must-see spots
Among the must-see spots of Sibonga are the Unca Cave & Spring in Barangay Sayao, and Camp Bato, a camp of the American soldiers during World War II, in the boundary of Barangays Bato and Manatad.
The beautiful painting on the ceiling of the Our Lady of the Pillar Parish church in Barangay Poblacion is another attraction, a work of the famous painter Raymund Francia.
Every second week of August, Sibonga celebrates the fiesta of its patron saints Nuestra Señora del Pilar and Santa Filomena.
Part of the celebration is the Bonga Festival, which has been held for nine years now.
This year’s Bonga Festival has 12 contingents, seven for the elementary division and five for the high school division.
Fruits, fish
Most of the dances depict the abundance of fruits, vegetables and fish in the town, for which the townsfolk are thankful to the two patron saints.
The dances were either native- or Spanish-inspired.
Sibonga Central School was adjudged best in ritual and showdown categories for the elementary division, while Simala National High School won in the secondary division. Both schools received P20,000.
Sibonga Central School also won best in costume, while Simala National High School won best in street dancing. They got P2,500 each.
Sinulog Foundation’s Ricky Ballesteros, who was among the judges, invited the winning contingents to join the Sinulog in Cebu City on January.
Sinulog
Sibonga is no stranger to joining the Sinulog grand parade. In fact, this year’s winner of the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan in the elementary category was Sibonga’s Simala Elementary School. The contingent won P200,000 for that.
In the Bonga Festival, Mangyan Elementary School and Don Teodora de la Vega Memorial High School were declared second place winners in their respective category. Each received P18,000.
The third placers were Babag Elementary School and Sibonga National High Schools, each receiving P10,000.
The celebration was attended by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who is encouraging the towns to hold festivals to bring tourists in.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 25, 2006 issue)
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