AFTER three years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Panagtagbo Festival will return to the streets of Mandaue City on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Panagtagbo Festival, which aligns with the feast of St. Joseph, the Worker on May 8, will feature 100 performers from 26 of the city’s 27 barangays organized into eight clusters
City Councilor Immaline Marie Cortes-Zafra, chairperson of the City Council’s committee on tourism, said the Panagtagbo sa Mandaue Festival promotes local tourism and provides small businesses and entrepreneurs with opportunities to promote and sell their products and services.
On a larger scale, it is an additional tourist attraction for domestic and international tourists to consider when they visit the island of Cebu as well as a reason for balikbayans to go home to Mandaue.
The city officials expect the festival to attract local and foreign tourists.
The Mandaue Food Park, located on the grounds of the Mandaue Heritage Plaza, will also be opened for the activity.
City Councilor Jennifer del Mar of the executive committee of the Mid-year Cultural Summit told reporters on Thursday, May 4, that they prepared some bleachers near the Mandaue City Heritage Plaza grounds for seniors and persons with disabilities to view the street dancing showdown of the contingents.
The parade will start at three in the afternoon and end around six in the evening.
The street dancing covers roads from A.C Cortes to Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex, where the showdown and Panagtagbo Festival Queen will be held.
Del Mar said they are waiting for the final confirmation on the expected VIP guests to come for the activity, including Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
Around 500 personnel and force multipliers of the Mandaue City Police Office will be deployed for the Panagtagbo Festival on Saturday.