There I was again, baking under the wrathful heat of mid-day sun, to watch the Pasigarbo parade. Its been the second year I watched it, and it’s the third time its being held. I don’t know, these festivals just have a very strong magnet on me that I can’t seem to get enough of them. And I always like it anyway!
This year there were only 32 participating groups. That means 32 towns and cities in the whole province. Last year I think there were 38. But am not complaining. They say the pasigarbo is the “festival of festivals” in the province, and I think no one will contest that. Imagine the reigning festival champions of all those 32 towns and cities gathered in one place for a showdown?! Spectacle of spectacles, I must add!
This time, I did not anymore roam around the troops before they actually started. I instead asked driver to drop me at Mantuyong ASAP lest the road closures trapped us. Good idea, soon as I got off, various portions of A. Del Rosario St., were already being closed but drivah was still quick and he was able to turn left at F. Rosal and I don’t know anymore to which Cabahug, Cortez or Seno did he park. Did you notice Mandaue’s street names? Yep, looks like the politicians are bound to name every family member a street each. So there are a lot of streetnames that differ only on their initials like F Cabahug, BB Cabahug or SB Cabahug, etc.! Anyway, back to the parade…
I opted for my selected vantage as there was a nearby “judging station”. That means all groups would be performing at their very best in front of that station as judges will be jotting points. So, I was in for a grand show. And I noticed this part was not too loaded with people much less camera wielding folks. Happy, I waited for the parade to come. And it came without warning hehe! It just came forwarding with the first group dancing to the tune of the festival’s theme music (Pasigarbo Sa Sugbo). No police cars nor police bikes with wang-wang that usually precede all parades. Maybe this is the new mayor’s way of heeding what the new president wants? Well, wang-wang or not, everyone had to make way for the lengthy parade. I saw some motorists complaining why they were stuck but later I saw them gleefully watching the performances. Others even brought their cameras out and some even went to stand on the roofs of their vehicles. Ganun!
First came the troop from Badian – Banig Festival. Wow! The truck that carries their sound systems, speakers and all? They covered it up with real banig and some simplistic design that it looked to me like a float. Wow! And their festival queen’s gown is mostly of the banig material. Hmm, that must be heavy hehe! The bottom potion of her gown (if it is called that) is almost exactly that round banig rug adorning the sala of an aunt’s house hehe! Really, am not joking! Ah the dancers? Well, I liked their costume last year – those banig dresses/gowns? This time the banig was just like adornment. It looked real good though and they’re great dancers. One of them even went overeager dancing while we watched her hehe!
Then came belly festival… ay 'Karansa Festival of Danao City' pala hehe. They stirred the crowd a bit for some noise and even cheers as the frontliners were a pack of gay dancers with more than the usual size of stomach hehe. And their costume is that cling-to-skin type of cloth, so the bellies were really pronounced. When some kids coaxed them about it, some would even bloat their stomachs bigger to the delight and laughter of the audience. But they danced well too! Their dance master (or whatever he is called) was just on the side watching and walking with all of them but not shouting instructions when they passed by me. Good!
Lapyahan Festival of San Remigio followed. While many were all smiles and still gave their all, many too, esp towards the back seemed too lazy or too tired to dance. Hey, they were just about 400 meters from where they started AND they were approaching a second judging station just behind me. I couldn’t believe most seemed already exhausted. Judging station or not, I knew this group could have done better. I watched them win at the Lapyahan Festival. This time their collective expression did not seem at the very least interested. I liked how they decorated the truck carrying their sound systems though.
Talisay’s Halad Inasal came next. Ah those dresses and big flowers looked beautiful. Unfortunately the girls were not dancing when they passed me by. The lechon-bearing boys did. Hmm, they were generally good but on a stationary march hindi sabay-sabay. Sablay hehe!
Next festivals in the next entry...
This year there were only 32 participating groups. That means 32 towns and cities in the whole province. Last year I think there were 38. But am not complaining. They say the pasigarbo is the “festival of festivals” in the province, and I think no one will contest that. Imagine the reigning festival champions of all those 32 towns and cities gathered in one place for a showdown?! Spectacle of spectacles, I must add!
This time, I did not anymore roam around the troops before they actually started. I instead asked driver to drop me at Mantuyong ASAP lest the road closures trapped us. Good idea, soon as I got off, various portions of A. Del Rosario St., were already being closed but drivah was still quick and he was able to turn left at F. Rosal and I don’t know anymore to which Cabahug, Cortez or Seno did he park. Did you notice Mandaue’s street names? Yep, looks like the politicians are bound to name every family member a street each. So there are a lot of streetnames that differ only on their initials like F Cabahug, BB Cabahug or SB Cabahug, etc.! Anyway, back to the parade…
I opted for my selected vantage as there was a nearby “judging station”. That means all groups would be performing at their very best in front of that station as judges will be jotting points. So, I was in for a grand show. And I noticed this part was not too loaded with people much less camera wielding folks. Happy, I waited for the parade to come. And it came without warning hehe! It just came forwarding with the first group dancing to the tune of the festival’s theme music (Pasigarbo Sa Sugbo). No police cars nor police bikes with wang-wang that usually precede all parades. Maybe this is the new mayor’s way of heeding what the new president wants? Well, wang-wang or not, everyone had to make way for the lengthy parade. I saw some motorists complaining why they were stuck but later I saw them gleefully watching the performances. Others even brought their cameras out and some even went to stand on the roofs of their vehicles. Ganun!
First came the troop from Badian – Banig Festival. Wow! The truck that carries their sound systems, speakers and all? They covered it up with real banig and some simplistic design that it looked to me like a float. Wow! And their festival queen’s gown is mostly of the banig material. Hmm, that must be heavy hehe! The bottom potion of her gown (if it is called that) is almost exactly that round banig rug adorning the sala of an aunt’s house hehe! Really, am not joking! Ah the dancers? Well, I liked their costume last year – those banig dresses/gowns? This time the banig was just like adornment. It looked real good though and they’re great dancers. One of them even went overeager dancing while we watched her hehe!
Then came belly festival… ay 'Karansa Festival of Danao City' pala hehe. They stirred the crowd a bit for some noise and even cheers as the frontliners were a pack of gay dancers with more than the usual size of stomach hehe. And their costume is that cling-to-skin type of cloth, so the bellies were really pronounced. When some kids coaxed them about it, some would even bloat their stomachs bigger to the delight and laughter of the audience. But they danced well too! Their dance master (or whatever he is called) was just on the side watching and walking with all of them but not shouting instructions when they passed by me. Good!
Lapyahan Festival of San Remigio followed. While many were all smiles and still gave their all, many too, esp towards the back seemed too lazy or too tired to dance. Hey, they were just about 400 meters from where they started AND they were approaching a second judging station just behind me. I couldn’t believe most seemed already exhausted. Judging station or not, I knew this group could have done better. I watched them win at the Lapyahan Festival. This time their collective expression did not seem at the very least interested. I liked how they decorated the truck carrying their sound systems though.
Talisay’s Halad Inasal came next. Ah those dresses and big flowers looked beautiful. Unfortunately the girls were not dancing when they passed me by. The lechon-bearing boys did. Hmm, they were generally good but on a stationary march hindi sabay-sabay. Sablay hehe!
Next festivals in the next entry...
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