The Pakol Festival of Sta. Catalina was named this year’s winner in the Buglasan Festival of Festivals. CDN Digital photo | Ferdinand Edralin
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental–Friday, October 18, was a lucky day for Sta. Catalina as it bested other dance contingents that joined the Buglasan Festival of Festivals 2019.
The Pakol Festival of Sta. Catalina town also won five of the nine special awards. These are the Best Choreography, Best Festival Costume, Best Instrumentalist, Best in Street Dance and Best in Dance Showdance.
Defending champion Pamplona was first runner up. It also won four special awards – Most Artistic Float, Most Indigenous Float, Best Festival Float and Best ID Ark.
Meanwhile, the Sandurot Festival of Dumaguete City was in the third place.
Performers from the Sandurot Festival of Dumaguete City won third place in the Buglasan Festival. CDN Digital photo | Ferdinand Edralin
Sta. Catalina’s candidate for Buglasan 2019 King and Queen, Pantaleon Robert Pajunar III and Meah Patricia Balauro also emerged the winners in the competition. The two also won four minor awards each.
Pajunar won Best in Entourage, Best in Interview, Best in Costume and Best Performer. For her part, Balauro won Best in Entourage, Best in Costume, Best in Filipiniana and Best in Interview.
Clint John Gramatica of Pamplona and Mikaela Angelique Zayco of Dumaguete City won first runner-up for Buglasan King and Queen. Both did not win any minor award.
Dumaguete City’s Sherwayne Duran was second runner-up. He also won the Best in Barong minor award.
Sinulog sa Tanjay performers during the dance showdown held at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex. | photo from the Negros Oriental Provincial Tourism Office
Bais City’s Princess Mika Jean Gaudiano of Bais City emerged the second runner-up for the Buglasan Queen 2019.
Pamplona’s Ivy Leah Santillam won the Best Performer Award, a minor award.
In an interview, Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo said that the Buglasan Festival 2019 a success even there were only seven contingents that joined this year’s festival.
Degamo also thanked the local government units who participated in the event. / dcb