Wednesday, December 26, 2007 Dapitan readies for 2nd Handuraw Festival featuring Rizal By Cheng Ordoñez
ORGANIZERS of the "Handuraw Festival" in Dapitan City have vowed to showcase this year's festival with great consideration to the Filipino honor, heritage and heroic acumens that accompanies the country's National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.
It will be celebrated for the second year from Dec. 27 to 29.
Dr. Jose P. Rizal, who was exiled in Dapitan City for four years from 1892-1896, and his historical trail, is being featured through the Handuraw Festival.
Councilor Apple Marie Agolong, chairperson of the Committee in Tourism in the City Council, said Handuraw, which is a Visayan term that means recollection or flashback, was started last year by the City Government of Dapitan in honor of Dr. Jose Rizal, who had left living memories in the lives of the people in this place.
Dapitan City holds the Handuraw Festival in a bid to promote its historical heritage and boost its tourism potentials to local and foreign visitors. Dubbed as the Shrine City of the Philippines, Dapitan is envisioned to become an eco-tourism destination and heritage center of the South.
Agolong said the City Council of Dapitan passed last year a resolution, proclaiming "Handuraw Festival" an annual festival.
"What could best promote Dapitan than Dr. Jose Rizal and his legacies? Mayor Dominador Jalosjos is bent on using the inherent gem of Dapitan to promote the city. Rizal is the gem of Dapitan City aside from the beautiful beaches and excellent seafood," Agolong said.
Since last year, the City Government of Dapitan, together with various civic groups and business organizations, has embarked on a plan, enhancing the city's tourism industry by restoring Dr. Jose Rizal's historical heritage.
Vice Mayor Patri Bajamunde-Chan, who is also the chairperson of the Heritage Dapitan Task Force, said the plan involved the restoration and promotion of Rizal's historical trail and legacies in Dapitan.
"The plan meant the construction of "Punto de Desembarco de Rizal en Dapitan Landmark or Rizal's Landing Site and Sta. Cruz Marker, which cost more than P20 million," she said.
Rizal landed on the beach of Sta. Cruz, Dapitan, at 7 p.m. on July 17, 1892, to begin the life of an exile in Dapitan. It came to be known as Rizal's Landing Site later.
The plan also includes restoration of the official residence and administration building of the politico-military Governor of the District, Gov. Ricardo Carnicero, or the Casa Real, where Rizal lived from July 17, 1982, up to March 1983.
Another restoration project is the Rizal's Shrine, the major historical landmark of the city and the hero's home during his exile. Rizal bought this estate in 1892 from a prize he won in a lottery. It has an area of 16 hectares. It contains Casa Quadra, Casa Redondo, Casitan Hospitales, Casa Redonda Pequeña, the Aqueduct, Mi Retiro Rock and the Amphitheater.
"Dr. Rizal is not only a cultural icon during his time, he was also involved with daily affairs of the community around him, expressing his deep-seated love of country and people, Here, in Dapitan, he lived out what were to become the last of his adventures, he expressed his genius in practical, down-to-earth ways," Chan said.
Rizal, with the help of the townsfolk, rebuilt the town's Plaza, In front of St. James Church; they also made the "Relief Map of Mindanao" out of stones, soil and grass.
Rizal helped the residents put up the lamp-posts at every corner for Dapitan's first lighting system, which consisted of coconut oil lamps covered with glass.
Among his contributions to Dapitan was the establishment of an association of Dapitan farmers to improve farm products, obtained better harvests, construct more markets for them, collected funds to buy their products, and helped the producers and workers by putting up stores.
Dr. Rizal became the town doctor during his time. Opening a clinic and hospital, he treated non-paying patients as well as those who could pay. He gave away medicine to the poor.
He also opened a school where he taught Spanish, English, Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra and Correct Behavior.
Chan said it very rare for a local government to promote historical festival.
The different activities lined up for the second Handuraw festival are as follows:
* Day 1 (Thursday, December 27) - Registration of participants of the seminar/workshop Reaffirming the Teachings of Rizal's Virtues and Idealism;
Opening Parade - Parade of Floats on the Legacies of Dr. Rizal in Dapitan;
Opening Programs of Handuraw 2007; Opening Program of Seminar Workshop; Launching of the Book "The Dapitan Correspondence of Dr. Jose P. Rizal and Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt" Compiler: Former Congressman Romeo G. Jalosjos; Opening of the Booths of 'The 10 Anchor Destinations' ( One Barangay, One Product);
Opening of the Visual Arts Exhibit;
Start of the On the Spot Painting Lecture on "Rizal as an Artist" Lecturer: Mr. Christopher A. Rollo of the National Commission of Culture and Arts;
Mutya sa Handuraw 2007;
* Day 2 (Friday, December 28) - Continuation of the Seminar/ Workshop; Dr. Jose Rizal In Dapitan;
Fluvial Parade;
Chorale & Rondalla Contest;
* Day 3 (Saturday December 29) - Closing Program Seminar/Workshop;
Display of Paintings;
Street Dancing;
Showdown; Balak;
Initiation of New Members of the Knights of Rizal;
Fireworks.
Dr. Lilia Bravo of the Dapitan City schools division of the Department of Education (DepEd) disclosed that there are 11 secondary schools in Dapitan City participating in the Rizal life stage play competition, which will be held on Dec. 28 at the Rizal Memorial Institute covered court.
"These schools are going to present the life of the national hero as a fencing trainer, farmer, physician, engineer and teacher," Bravo said.
Dapitan City is host to world-class Dakak Park and Beach Resort. It is very accessible via Cebu City through fastcraft or by plane via Dipolog City, which is only 14 kilometers away.
It boasts of a very long shoreline with twenty of its 50 barangays situated along the coast. Eleven barangays are situated along Dapitan River and five urban barangays are alongside Liboran River. Fishing, therefore, is the second source of livelihood of the people here.
The seas within the territorial waters of the city abound with plentiful supply of fish, prawns, seaweeds and other marine products. Developed fishponds in the areas comprise 1,562 hectares or 4 percent of the city's total land area.
Restaurants, and fine dining outlets always serve fresh seafood to the delight of the tourists, not to forget the Kamayan sa Ihaw-Ihaw, where guests are made to board motor outrigger from the highway to the beautiful and enchanting place within a vast range of fishpond.
Organizers of the Handuraw Festival have vowed to improve the holding of the only festival in the country that is dedicated to the National Hero, Dr. Josr Rizal this year.
