CITIES and towns in Cebu Islands will meet for the first time at the Heritage City of the South to showcase their locality's offerings through colorful performances in Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.
There will be 50 delegates that will represent their homegrown festivals and compete in the cultural event dubbed as the "Festival of Festivals of Cebu" in Carcar City in southern Cebu.
Here are the delegates that will perform to the Street Dancing and Grand Showdown competitions on Sunday, August 27, 2023:
Contingent 1: Bolho Festival of Boljoon
"Bolho" means water sprouts. In Boljoon, this is considered an abundant gift of nature and relates to the town's rich cultural heritage and beautiful destinations.
Contingent 2: Budbod Kabog Festival of Catmon
Budbod Kabog is Catmon's most famous delicacy, made from a kind of millet called "kabog" that thrives in the mountains of Catmon. The Budbod Kabog Festival is celebrated during the town's fiesta every February 10 in honor of San Guillermo De Aquitania.
Contingent 3: Kinsan Festival of Aloguinsan
Aloguinsan took its name from "ulo sa kinsan" or head of the kinsan. Kinsan is a type of fish that is abundant in the waters of Aloguinsan. The Kinsan Festival is an ode to the town's fishermen who benefit from the abundance of kinsan.
Contingent 4: Panagsogod Festival of Sogod
The Panagsogod Festival captures the essence of beginnings in all things. "Sogod" in Cebuano means start or beginning. Two popular legends tell of the origin of the town's name: it was in this town where the first parish was established, starting the wave of Christianity in northern Cebu. It is also here where the black sand of the south stops and where the white sand of the north begins.
Contingent 5: Hinulawan Festival of City Of Toledo
Hinulawan Festival is a fusion of cultural dances depicting the colorful past and present of Toledo City starting from the pintados, pre-Spanish, rural, and neo-ethnic to the modern Toledo eras. Toledo City used to be named hinulawan for its rich gold, copper and other mineral resources. Hinulawan is a contraction of two Cebuano words "Hinaguang Bulawan" or hard earned gold.
Contingent 6: Dagayday Festival of Samboan
The Dagayday Festival is a celebration that emanates from the belief that water is the source of life and our role in the conservation of this precious resource. The fluidity of the kinetic energy flowing from the myriad of waterfalls of Samboan has brought a plethora of benefits to its people and its entire ecosystem from ridge to reef.
Contingent 7: Kuyayang Festival of City of Bogo
Kuyayang is a traditional courtship dance endemic to Bogo City. Taking position that culture signifies a way of life, the Kuyayang tells the tale of the early life of Bogohanons.
Contingent 8: Sanggi Festival of Tabogon
Sanggi Festival is intended to showcase the socio-cultural and religious aspect of the lives of Taboganons. It includes a wide range of activities related to farming, such as "pamugas" or sowing, "sanggi" or harvesting, and "pasalamat" or thanksgiving. Sanggi begins with sweat but it ends with tears of joy and gratitude.
Contingent 9: Bahandi Festival of Alcantara
The town of Alcantara is blessed with abundant marine resources and fertile lands. The bounties of the land and sea of Alcantara are said to be the wealth or the so-called “bahandi” of the people. The Bahandi Festival is a celebration of good life, good harvest, merrymaking, and thanksgiving.
Contingent 10: Kabkaban Festival of Carcar City
Kabkab is an endemic fern found in the City of Carcar. The abundance of kabkab depicts the richness and great passion in music, arts and culture. The leaf's proliferation represents the Carcaranon's love of music and the arts as an offering to the vulnerable Msgr. Teofilo Camomot and St. Catherine's De Alexandria.
Contingent 11: Toslob Festival of Oslob
In celebration of the town's annual fiesta of the Municipality of Oslob, the Toslob Festival is a form of merrymaking and thanksgiving for the blessings received throughout the year from the town's patroness, the Immaculate Conception. Toslob, which means to "soak," refers to how the town of Oslob got its name.
Contingent 12: Katunggan Festival of Tudela
The municipality of Tudela decided to introduce a new festival to represent their town. The Katunggan Festival celebrates Tudela's katunggans or mangroves that protect the town from natural calamities, as well as provides livelihood to the townsfolk due to the abundance of shellfish and other sea creatures lurking within the mangrove forests of Tudela.
Contingent 13: Banig Festival of Badian
Banig weaving is a precise and time-honored technique in Badian; each banig is a work of art, with patterns and designs meticulously crafted by the skillful hands of the weavers. The weaving technique necessitates patience, precision, and an intimate knowledge of the natural fibers utilized, resulting in long-lasting and artistically attractive mats.
Contingent 14: Humba Festival of Ronda
Humba or braised pork belly is a Filipino recipe and is a famous delicacy in the small town of Ronda, Cebu. Humba de Ronda is made simply by just adding soy sauce, sugar and garlic to pork, cooking it until the pork becomes tender that it melts in your mouth.
Contingent 15: Kagasangan Festival of Moalboal
Moalboal, with its underwater paradise due to the beautiful, colorful interlacing seawater animals and corals locally termed "kagasangan," captivates and entices divers around the globe. Moalboal is indeed a haven of divers.
Contingent 16: Panumod Festival of Barili
Barili is known for its Mantalongon livestock market, the largest of its kind in the Visayas and is one of Barili's highest income earners. It was in mid 1920s when it became the center of large "Thursday market day." It is primarily an agricultural town with corn, rice, coconut, fish and mangoes, giving birth to its festival, the Panumod, in honor of patron St. Anna.
Contingent 17: La Torta Festival of Argao
The La Torta Festival is a celebration of Argao's most esteemed and cherished delicacy, the torta. It is a distinctive symbol of the town's rich cultural heritage and Spanish influence. It manifests the Argawanon hospitality and generosity, as the torta is offered to guests and members of the family. All these in veneration to San Miguel Archangel.
Contingent 18: Soli-soli Festival of San Francisco
The Soli-soli Festival is celebrated because of the soli-soli, a type of grass that grows abundantly beside San Francisco's Lake Danao. This grass can be used to make a variety of products such as bags, banig, hats and other weaved products that serve as the primary livelihood of the people of San Francisco.
Contingent 19: Panagbagat Festival of Poro
Panagbagat is a festival of union and unification. It commemorates the purposeful meeting and peaceful agreement of the warring tribes of Tag-anito from the west and the Maktang tribe from the east under the wise counsel of panganuron. Today, the Panagbagat Festival is a creative and festive event celebrating the Porohanon's keen understanding of the importance of unity, oneness and togetherness.
Contingent 2:0 Sarok Festival of Consolacion
Celebrated on Consolacion's founding anniversary, the Sarok Festival features the sarok, a conical hat made of bamboo strips and dried banana leaves. Considered as a "panalipod sa uwan ug init" and "kaabag sa panginabuhi," the sarok is a representation of Consolacionanon's resiliency, passion, and resourcefulness.
Contingent 21: Pamugsay Festival of Pilar
"Pamugsay" is taken from the word "bugsay," a wooden paddle used to row a boat or banca. Fishing is a primary source of livelihood in Pilar, since Ponson Island or Pilar town is surrounded by the sea. This is why the Pamugsay Festival was created to give credit to Pilar's ancestors and the Pilaranons who are mostly dependent on fishing as source of income.
Contingent 22: Isda Festival of Madridejos
Isda Festival is the town's way of celebrating the abundance and diverseness of marine life. The richness of the sea has provided for the livelihood of the locals and has made Madridejos to be known as the "Little Alaska of the Philippines." Isda Festival pays homage to Madridejos patron saint Immaculate Concepcion.
Contingent 23: Lapayahan Festival of San Remigio
Derived from the Cebuano word "lapyahan," which literally means shoreline. The general theme revolves around a razzmatazz of culture, history, and the sea, which features the vibrant festival.
Contingent 24: Haladaya Festival of Daanbantayan
"Haladaya" comes from two words: "halad," which means offer or offering; and "daya," which refers to the name of Datu Daya, who was believed to be the ruler of the first Malayan settlers of the place. Haladaya Festival basically means an offering to Datu Daya.
Contingent 25: Utanon Festival of Dalaguete
Utanon Festival is a festival of music and dance featuring high value crops and vegetables as a form of trade, its contribution to the local economy, its role in cultural diversity, and its significance as an industry to Dalaguetnons.
Contingent 26: Panuhog Festival of Santa Fe
"Panuhug" is a Santafehanon term that is directly associated with the art of stringing shell beads together and shell crafting. Evidently, panuhug became a major source of living for Santafehanons; some proceeds derived helped in funding educational pursuits of the locals, thereby making them successful members of the society.
Contingent 27: Tostado Festival of Santander
The Tostado Festival dance is characterized by its basic steps in making tostado cookies, such as "batil" for mixing, "ligis" for kneading, hulma for cutting, and horno for baking. It is celebrated every 3rd Saturday of April as a fiesta highlight on ante-vesperas, in honor of Santander's Patron Saint, St. Gabriel the Archangel.
Contingent 28: Dinagat Festival of Cordova
The Dinagat Festival is an annual festivity during Cordova's fiesta celebration in honor of the town's patron saint, Señor San Roque. "Dinagat" is a Visayan term that comes from the root word "dagat," which literally means "sea." It depicts the fishing tradition and the Cordovahon's way of life.
Contingent 29: Hinatdan Festival of Ginatilan
The term Ginatilan is associated with the word "hinatdan," which was derived from the Cebuano word "hatod." It refers to “bringing progress” and caring for nature. Ginatilan is the birth place of the second Filipino saint, San Pedro Calungsod.
Contingent 30: Sugat Kabanhawan Festival of Minglanilla
This is a festival that venerates great religious devotion to Lord Jesus. It is celebrated every Easter Sunday.
Contingent 31: Sinulog sa Carmen of Carmen
Stories passed down through generations have talked about conquistador Miguel Lopez De Legazpi landing on the shores of Barangay Luyang, where he gifted an image of ñor Santo Niño to the people of Luyang. The people's devotion to Sto. Niño grew as the centuries passed after they witnessed miracles that spared their settlement from the harsh forces of nature and from invaders.
Contingent 32: Katubhan Festival of Medellin
Medellin is an agricultural municipality with sugarcane or "tubo" as the main crop. Sugarcane farming is also one of the main sources of livelihood of the local folks. With this, the organizers have more than enough reason to transform the Medellin Sinulog Festival into the Medellin Katubhan Festival.
Contingent 33: Lingaw Sadya Festival of Balamban
Linga Sadya came from the words "lingaw," which means to enjoy; and "sadya," which means lively. The festival depicts the character and personality of the people of Balamban. They always look at the bright side of everything.
Contingent 34: Kawayan Festival of Alegria
The Kawayan Festival in Alegria is a lively celebration that revolves around the significance of bamboo as the main source of livelihood for the locals. Through vibrant performances, colorful parades, and bamboo-themed displays, the festival showcases the town's strong connection to this versatile material. The rhythmic chant "Que Alegre, Alegria!" echoes throughout the festivities, symbolizing the town's exuberance and positivity.
Contingent 35: Dagitab Festival of City of Naga
As the name suggests, the Dagitab Festival covers six aspects: light, progress, industry, tourism, economic development and employment. Dagitab is a Cebuano term that means light or electricity. The Dagitab dance involves body movements that depict the sparkle and continued illumination of light in vibrant colors and sizes.
Contingent 36: Sikoy-Sikoy Festival of San Fernando
Sikoy-sikoy is a colloquial term for "panikoy," or a fishing method actively practiced by Sanfernandohanon fishermen by throwing nets even in rough and sturdy waves. Throughout the years, the term sikoy-sikoy has been adapted by the locals as the group of fishes that are caught in the said fishing practice.
Contingent 37: Ani-anihan Festival of Tabuelan
Ani-anihan Festival, derived from the word "ani," which means harvest, is Tabuelan's artistic demonstration of immense joy and enthusiasm in gratitude to god, through the intercession of patron saint John The Baptist, for the town and its people's bountiful agri-crop production.
Contingent 38: Queseo Festival of Compostela
The Queseo Festival of Compostela showcases the local cheese or "queseo" produced from carabao's milk, cooked naturally to produce a soft white cheese that goes well with biscuits and bread. This age old tradition and product of mountain farmed has always been the pride of Compostela.
Contingent 39: Bisnok Festival of Dumanjug
Bisayang manok or native chicken is the famous delicacy that the southwestern town of Dumanjug is known for. The bisayang manok directly descended from the red junglefowl called in Cebuano as "manok ihalas."
Contingent 40: Palawod Festival of Bantayan
"Palawod" means to go out to the far reaches of the ocean to harvest its bounty. It is an invitation to faith as expressed through talents and skills, prayers, songs, dreams and ambitions.
Contingent 41: Lalin Festival of Asturias
The Cebuano word "lalin" refers to a settlement event in which people emigrated from other regions. People from the neighboring islands of Negros and Bohol were considered the first settlers of Asturias, originally called "naghalin" during the Spanish era.
Contingent 42: Tuba Festival of Borbon
One of Borbon's main livelihood is the production of "tuba" or coconut wine. Tuba is a sweet, fresh or mildly fermented sap taken from tapping the young expanded flowers of the coconut. It is sold directly to the market. This very delicious wine is being offered to guest during special occasions.
Contingent 43: Panagtagbo Festival of Mandaue City
The Panagtagbo Festival is an adaptation of the traslacion or the transfer of the image of the Holy Child from the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to St. Joseph Church in Mandaue City. "Panagtagbo" is a Cebuano term for meeting or gathering of the Holy Family, which is celebrated every 3rd Friday of January in line with the celebration of the Fiesta Señor.
Contingent 44: Tubod Festival of Municipality of Tuburan
"Tuburan" is from the Cebuano word "tubod," which means spring. Due to the abundance of springs, Tuburan celebrates annually the Tubod Festival held every 13th of June in honor of the town's patron, Saint Anthony de Padua.
Contingent 45: Rosquillos Festival of Liloan
The Rosquillos Festival showcases the delicious pastry referred to as rosquillos. It is a favorite snack in Liloan. It is a cookie with a hole in the middle similar to a donut. The festival allows the municipality to promote its famous tourist spots.
Contingent 46: Buyoc Festival of Malabuyoc
A festival dance depicting the celebration of harvest through a traditional method of cooking called "buyoc," where the freshest corn grains are poured on a boiling water inside a clay pot called "colon" until mixtures become dried or "mala" and ready to serve.
Contingent 47: Bonga Festival of Sibonga
A celebration for the town's abundant natural and food resources, the Bonga Festival is held every year. The word "bonga" refers fruit or, for a more general definition, harvest. Every year on October 12, this harvest celebration is observed.
Contingent 48: Siloy Festival of Alcoy
The Siloy Festival emphasizes the message to protect the endangered black shama or siloy, Cebu's endemic bird that exists in the forests of Alcoy.
Contingent 49: Pamuhuan Festival of Pinamungajan
It is a celebration of the vast resources that Pinamungajan has access to due to its fertile land and sea.
Contingent 50: Halad Inasal Festival of Talisay City
Talisay City is considered the Lechon Capital of Cebu and arguably has one of the best lechon in the Philippines. Lechon is also commonly known in Cebuano as Inasal. The Halad Inasal Festival is celebrated during the feast of Talisay's patron saint, Santa Teresa De Avila.
For this year, cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu will also join the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo competition but as guest delegates. (KJF)