TACLOBAN CITY - The Leyte Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals would continue to show force this year despite opposition of a similar festival being revived in the city.
This was disclosed by PAGCOR Vice-Chairman Remedios “Matin” Petilla, who also chairs the Kasadyaan Festival Committee during a press conference held on opening night of the Kasadyaan Festival Park at the RTR Plaza.
According to the former governor and Leyte representative, initially there are 13 to 15 contingents expected to join this year’s streetdancing and festival presentation while two famed festivals in the country are expected to join as well as guest contingents.
These two are Leyte’s very own Buyogan Festival of Abuyog, Leyte and Cebu’s Lumad Basakanon from the famous Sinulog Festival. Both festivals have been respectively declared champions in national festival competitions such as the Sinulog Festival in Cebu every January and the Aliwan Fiesta in Manila during summer.
Mrs. Petilla said the Buyogan Festival has already been elevated to the Hall of Fame for successively winning three major festivals namely: the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival 2008, Sinulog Festival 2009 and the Aliwan Fiesta 2009.
“We would like to give chance to other contingents coming from other municipalities of the province and Buyogan have been winning the grand champion several times now in three different festivals. So, they will come this June as guest contingent,” Mrs. Petilla said.
Lumad Basakanon, on the other hand, is a group from Brgy. Basak, San Nicolos, Cebu City. It was the grand champion in the Free Interpretation Category in the 2007 and 2008 Sinulog Festival but bowed to the Buyogan Festival in the same category this year.
Lumad Basakanon was also the Grand Prize Winner in the Aliwan Fiesta in 2006, 2007 and 2008 but bowed to Tribu Kabatok in last year’s newly-revived Sangyaw Festival in Tacloban City.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Petilla said the number of contingents which signified to join this year would want to show the people and all visitors that Leyte’s municipalities are cohesive and especially now that after 14 years, Leyte’s festival contingents are making names in the national festival arena such as Sinulog Fiesta in Cebu and the Aliwan Fiesta in Manila.
On the other hand, Pintados Foundation Inc. President Eugene Tan said the group is sticking with the Kasadyaan Festival of Leyte province, saying the two has already become a tradition.
“As long as there would be Kasadyaan, there would always be a Pintados,” Tan said to the local media.
He likewise disclosed that as part of the preparation the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival has already sought a permit from the city for the streetdance parade.
“Since this is all for the benefit of the Taclobanons, we are hoping that they would grant us one,” Tan added.
On the same note, Mrs. Petilla said, they would proceed with the Pintados Kasadyaan Streedancing on June 27, 2009 and the stage presentation at the Leyte Sports Development Center thereafter.
“What is a festival without street dancing. It’s unheard of,” she said.
Kasadyaan contingents would be vying for the half a million prize that would be given to the grand champion of this year’s Kasadyaan Festival. There would also be consolation prizes for runners-up and non-winning contingents.
Prizes for the winners are being shouldered by the provincial government of Leyte. (AHLETTE C. REYES)
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