CEBU Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is asking the candidates for Pasigarbo sa Sugbo’s festival queen competition to limit their outfit to only five kilograms or less.
This came about as a result of observations that costume bearers found it difficult to dance and move around due of the weight of their costumes.
During a meeting with the mayors, choreographers, and provincial tourism officers at the Capitol on Thursday, July 13, 2023, Cebu Fifth District Board Member Andrei "Red" Duterte, chairman of the Committee on Tourism, said festival queen candidates often get weak easily and may even collapse because of their heavy attire.
Because of this, Garcia mandated that contestants for the festival queen competition and their costumes be weighed at the opening of One Cebu Expo.
"During the opening, i-weigh nato ang mga candidates so kahibaw nata unsay normal weight... you cannot add more than five kilos or 10 pounds," Garcia said on Thursday.
The candidates' frequently worn outfits are positioned with a steel rod so that the decorations are sturdy and not easily damaged.
Garcia advised the designers to use bamboo instead of a steel rod to make it lighter.
"Kana man gud uban ninyo design kabilya man gud inyo ibutang, karon mangita namo sa mga lightweight materials. Mag design man gud mo wala mo nag huna-huna sa nagdala, naghuna-huna mo sa pinakabongga. That affects your festival queen, so kung ato ning ma limit and sigurado nga i-limit. This is a challenge for you to look for more lightweight materials...kawayan ibutang," the governor said.
(Some of you used steel bars in your designs; now you look for lighter materials. When making a design, you don’t think of the wearer, but only its awesomeness. That affects your festival queen, so if we can limit and definitely limit it. This is a challenge for you to look for more lightweight materials like bamboo.)
In line with its desire to level up this year’s presentation, the Capitol will give a P2 million subsidy to every participating contingent from mainland Cebu and P2.5 million for those from surrounding islands.
The Pasigarbo Street Dancing and Grand Showdown Competition will showcase the different delicacies and tourist sites of the province.
Around 50 contingents coming from the different local government units in Cebu will join the event, which will be held on August 27 in Carcar City, southern Cebu. (ANV/TPT)