Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Officials move midwest Suroy to June
TOP officials of six towns and a city in Cebu met to organize the first Midwest Suroy Suroy Sugbo.
The event was scheduled this month but has been moved to June to give the mayors more time to prepare. The next Suroy Suroy is scheduled on June 12 and 13.
Toledo City and Tuburan will be celebrating their fiestas on those days.
Toledo City Mayor Arlene Zambo was the one who formally asked the activity to be moved to coincide with the city’s launching of the Hinulawan Festival.
Hinulawan is a river in Toledo City that local government officials want to develop into a tourism destination.
Mardi gras
Zambo said participants will see a mardi gras consisting of six to eight contingents dancing the Hinulawan Festival. There will also be a search for a festival queen.
Tuburan Mayor Constancio Suezo also said that his town will showcase the Tubod Festival on June 13 during their fiesta celebration.
Midwest Suroy Suroy Sugbo will cover seven towns and two districts: Aloguinsan, Pinamungajan, Toledo City, Balamban, Asturias and Tuburan of the third district and Tabuelan of the fourth district.
Mayors of the third district and the vice mayor of Tabuelan met with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday to iron out the details of the June event.
Balamban Mayor Alex Binghay is glad that his town was finally considered after more than four years of the Suroy Suroy Sugbo.
“We have been waiting for a long time to be invited, but no one did,” Binghay said during the meeting.
“I think we’re ready,” Binghay added.
Pinamungajan Mayor Geraldine Yapha was also relieved with the postponement of the Suroy Suroy to June, which would give her town more time to prepare.
Own festival
Yapha also plans to start their own festival, which she wants to launch during the town fiesta in September. But she said she will give tourists a glimpse of it when the activity stops by Pinamungajan town on the first day of the two-day event.
Aloguinsan Mayor Cynthia Moreno is also ready to showcase her town’s Kinsan Festival. Kinsan is a variety of fish abundant only in the town. It can be used as substitute for Lapu-Lapu, famous in first class restaurants.
Moreno has been actively participating in past Suroy Suroys to get ideas on how to welcome the tourists when Aloguinsan’s turn to participate comes. (JGA)
