TABUK CITY - Amid the continuing delay in the final resolution of the cityhood issue by the Supreme Court (SC), this city is poised to observe it third foundation day and the ninth Matagoan Festival on June 24 and 25.
The last word from the SC is that the deliberation of the motion for reconsideration of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) seeking to overturn the already reversed ruling of the high court on the issue of cityhood has been postponed to June 22 or two days before the festivities.
The cityhood issue is somehow casting a shadow on the celebration because the continuing pendency of the case before the SC has reduced the resources available for the celebration it being that the city along with the other so-called 16 new cities is receiving municipal level internal revenue allotment (IRA).
Festival director and councilor Sandra Mejia declared that despite the relatively tight budget, the organizers are trying their best to come up with a "meaningful and wonderful festival."
She said that one remarkable difference this year is the more active participation from the barangay officials during the Gabi ng Parangay and Barangay Night when each barangay will have two people to be awarded for significant accomplishment in any field.
Program and invitation committee chairman Maricel Kiley said that upon the instruction of Mayor Camilo Lammawin, aside from the Barangay Night, to be accentuated this year are the core activities of the annual celebration namely the Matagoan Run, the street dancing, the dornat and the cultural presentations.
The Matagoan Run is the nine-kilometer fun run where the participants are in native garb, namely G-string for the men and tapis for the women and the dornat is the ritual for the warming up of the bodong or native peace pact which is being dramatized during the Matagoan Festival to highlight the indigenous approach being undertaken by the local government unit when it comes to the issue of peace and order.
To be presented during the street dancing this year are the mini festivals of the nine original sub-tribes of Tabuk City namely the Guilayon, Colminga, Naneng, Gaddang, Biga, Dallac, Malbong, Tobog and Minanga.
The Gabi ng Parangal gives the LGU the chance to recognize members of Tabuk City society who have given the city honor in the national and regional arena as well as those who have manifested extraordinary human virtues.
"For maximum impact, we are focusing our limited festival resources on the promotion of our rich and varied cultural heritage as well as on encouraging our people to strive harder and conduct themselves in a better way," Kiley said.
With the help of corporate sponsors and the civic spirit of local groups, the organizers are also introducing entirely new activities this year namely the float parade and the Matagoan Dance Exhibition.
"The float parade is in response to the need for the promotion of the various business activities in the locality which have all received a boost when Tabuk was converted into a city. On the other hand, we are also initiating the Matagoan Dance Exhibition because throughout the stagings of the Matagoan Festival, modern dance has been neglected. Young children and young adults have been clamoring for a chance to showcase their talents in modern dance during the festival," artistic director Arlene Odiem explained.
Assistant Solicitor General Karl Miranda will be the guest speaker during the founding anniversary on June 24 while and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Legal Affairs Director and former Tabuk mayor Basilio Wandag, Sr. will be the guest speaker during the Matagoan Festival on the 25th. The two guests were chosen because of their being natives of the city.