Regal Oliva
Mandaue City will be spending P9.5 million for this year’s fiesta.
The city’s 45th fiesta dubbed as the Mid-Year Cultural Summit kicks off with a motorcade on April 28 and ends on May 30 with the “Gabii sa Kabilin” (Night of Heritage), a yearly citywide event organized by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation.
City Treasurer Regal Oliva said the city government has set aside P8 million while the Taga Mandaue Inc. (TMI) and the Cultural Historical Education Sports and Tourism Foundation (Chest) are expected to raise P1.5 million for the celebration.
“This Midyear Cultural Summit will showcase the best of Mandaue,” said Amado Go, president of Chest and chairman of the fiesta executive committee.
The city celebrates the feast day of St. Joseph, its patron saint, on May 8.
Unlike last year when organizers held the Panagtagbo Festival street dancing and showdown on January or before the Traslacion, these two events will be held on May 3.
The Traslacion is the meeting of the holy images on a Friday before the Sinulog Grand Mardi Gras.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said the events were canceled last January due to the calamities that hit Central Visayas last year.
“The Panagtagbo Festival is one-of-a-kind, it’s a festival to show our respect for the Holy Family, ” Cortes said.
The 12 candidates of the Miss Mandaue 2014, another fiesta highlight, were also presented to the media. The coronation night is scheduled on May 7.