Tribu Kandaya, Sinulog Festival Queen to represent in Aliwan Festival

Tribu Kandaya of Daanbantayan takes the Free Interpretation top prize during the Sinulog 2018 Grand Parade held on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018.

Tribu Kandaya from Daanbantayan and Sinulog Festival Queen 2018 Sheila Mae Reborata of Talisay City will represent Cebu for this year’s Aliwan Festival, dubbed as the country’s ‘mother of festivals’.

This was confirmed by Jess Dela Cruz, program director of Sinulog Festival 2018.

Dela Cruz added that Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot and the Talisay City Government have already sent letters to the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) requesting for financial assistance.

He revealed that Tribu Kandaya projected a total of P4 million as their expenses in participating for this year’s Aliwan Festival.

The said requests will be discussed in the next executive committee meeting of the SFI.

Nevertheless, Dela Cruz expressed confidence that the SFI will grant financial assistance the two Cebu representatives for the Aliwan Festival.

“Our festival queen, on the other hand, has not specified the estimated costs except the transportation,” said Dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz said the Cebu City Government may also extend assistance to the contestants for Aliwan Festival.

“I’m now asking the mayor that the extra P600,000 from the P25 million budget of Sinulog 2018 can be used for the transportation. Even the mayor admitted that participating in Aliwan can cost around P4 million,” added Dela Cruz.

Tribu Kandaya, the champion of the Free Interpretation Category for Sinulog Festival 2018, also requested another P1 million financial assistance from the Cebu Provincial Government.