IN A bid to further showcase its Bailes de Luces Festival in the international stage, the Municipal Government of La Castellana is joining the Intercontinental Dance Contest in Rome, Italy in 2020.
Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Manguilimutan said they already confirmed to the competition's organizing committee that they are joining in the small group category.
Nicor-Manguilimutan said the contest, which will gather at least 100 performing groups all over the world, is scheduled on April 21 to 26, 2020.
"One of our dreams is to bring the name of La Castellana in the whole world," she said, adding that their participation in the intercontinental dance contest is seen to make Bailes de Luces Festival and the town itself more known to the world.
Known as the "Festival of Lights," Bailes de Luces is a celebration of thanksgiving. It has been compared to the Rio De Janeiro Carnival of Brazil.
From its humble beginning in 2000, Bailes de Luces, Spanish for Dances of Lights, is now one of the most known festivals in the country.
In 2012, it has conquered the national stage when it competed for the inter-town finals of ABS-CBN's "It's Showtime."
In 2018, the local government showcased Bailes de Luces in Germany through a tourism promotion.
Earlier this year, the festival won first place in the foreign category of the Wonju Dynamic Dancing Carnival in Wonju City, South Korea.
The town was among the performers from about 30 countries in Asia. The team received a cash prize of P200,000.
For the people of La Castellana, the dances and transitions of lights also symbolize hope for them and a guide for the town in its aspiration for a better future.
Also, the dances trace back the history of the festival, which was first popularized by using "sulo" or fire torch as the main source of lights.
Nicor-Manguilimutan said among the salient features of the festivity are the difficulty of dance that has to be complemented with the movements and transitions of lights.
For the upcoming competition in Rome, the mayor said they will be maximizing the hand props and headdresses "to showcase what we really want to present about Bailes de Luces."
"We will be bringing the name not only of La Castellana but also Negros Occidental and Philippines," she added.
Nicor-Manguilimutan has already informed Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson about their participation in Rome.
The Provincial Government might extend financial assistance, she said.