Mandaue ready for Panagtagbo Festival, other fiesta activities

Bleachers are built in front of the Mandaue City Hall in preparation for the Panagtagbo Festival this coming Saturday. | Mary Rose Sagarino

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — The Mandaue City government continues to prepare for the activities that will be held in line with its fiesta.

A few bleachers near the Mandaue City Hall grounds were already put-up as preparation for the Panagtagbo Festival on Saturday, May 6.

READ: Mandaue prepares several activities for Mid-Year Cultural Summit

Panagtagbo Festival

City Councilor Jennifer Del Mar, executive chairperson of the mid-year cultural summit 2023, said that senior citizens and Persons With Disability would be prioritized to sit on the bleachers.

The street dancing will start from AC Cortes Avenue to the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex where the grand showdown and the Panagtagbo Festival Queen will be conducted.

The parade will start at 3 p.m on Saturday. Eight cluster barangays will participate in the festival. Each cluster is consist of three to four barangays of the city.

The festival is one of the highlight acivities for the feast of St. Joseph, The Worker which is celebrated by the city every May 8. 

Panagtagbo Festival is inspired by the translacion or the meeting of the images of the Sto. Niño, Our lady of Guadalupe, and St. Joseph at the National Shrine of St. Joseph.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is expected to grace the event.

READ: MCPO prepares security plan for Mandaue fiesta 2023

Mandaue fiesta security

Police Colonel Jeffrey Caballes, director of the Mandaue City Police Office said that at least 500 personnel will be deployed to secure the event.

These include the multipliers and personnel augmented from Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City Police Offices and other police offices in region 7.

Councilor Del Mar said that the festival was not celebrated for three years since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We are expecting nga daghan gyud ang participate kay since after COVID karun pa ta nakabalik, ang atoang students sad nangapil. Mga parents, hopefully, will be here as well, so that will be a huge population,” said Del Mar.

(We are expecting that many will participate because since after COVID this is the first time since we returned, our students will also join. Hopefully, the parents will be here as well so that will be a huge population.)

Other highlights of the city’s fiesta are Miss Mandaue on Friday, May 5 and Reina De Mandaue on May 9. Both will be held at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.

RELATED STORIES

In Bohol, May fiestas return after 3-year absence

Sara Duterte confident PH post-pandemic recovery on track with town festivals