One of the contingents during the street dancing competition of Saulog Tagbilaran 2023. | Doris C. Bongcac
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – One million worth of projects would be added to the P250,000 cash prize of the winning contingent in Saulog Tagbilaran 2024 as Mayor Jane Yap promises to make the festival even grander next year.
Runners up would also get their share of projects, which they themselves would select, in addition to the cash prizes that they would also be getting, Yap said.
“Gusto nato nga naay makita ang mga dancer og ang barangay nga long-term effect. Pwede na magamit sa pagtukod og computer room, e-library, daycare center,” she said.
(We want that the dancers and the barangays can see the long-term effect (of their winnings in the event). It can even be used to build a computer room, e-library, daycare center.)
Barangay Tiptip won this year’s grand prize as the festival made a comeback after a three year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yap said she was very pleased with the outcome of this year’s festival, which showcased “world class” performance from their city’s 15 barangays.
Promoting Tagbilaran
“Kining ilang gipakita dili lamang nagpromote sa Tagbilaran kun di sa tibuok probinsya sa Bohol (What they did did not only promote Tagbilaran but also the whole of Bohol). It has also reactivated the economic activities of Tagbilaran City,” she said.
Yap said the festival that was held on Sunday, April 30, or a day ahead of the feast of their city’s patron saint, Sr. San Jose, was a reintroduction of Tagbilaran City to the rest of the country and the world.
It have the signal that their city was again ready to accommodate guests and spur economic activities after most of the COVID-19 restrictions were already lifted.
“Nabalik na gyud sa pre-pandemic and as you can see daghan gyud tag mga small business owners nga nabuhi gyud tungod aning atong gibuhat nga Saulog Tagbilaran festival, so its really boosting the economic activity of Tagbilaran City and the province of Bohol,” the mayor said.
(The situation during the pre-pandemic is back and as you can see there are already many small business owners who have survived because of what we did in the Saulog Tagbilaran Festival, so it’s really boosting the economic activity of Tagbilaran City and the province of Bohol.)
Homecoming
Next Year, Yap said her administration would be planning an even bigger Saulog Festival.
“Sa sunod nga tuig ato pa gyud padak-on ang atong pagselebrar sa Saulog Tagbilaran,” Yap said.
(Next year, we will do a bigger celebration of the Saulog Tagbilaran.)
Yap said Saulog Tagbilaran would include homecoming activities especially for Bol-anons who were not working and residing abroad also known as the Tigum Bol-anon sa Tibuok Kalibutan (TBTK).
Performers pay their tribute to Sr. San Jose during the Saulog festival street dancing competition. | Doris C. Bongcac
All locals
However, Yap said, that for now, she wanted their festival to focus on local contingents to allow the city’s 15 barangays to showcase their talents.
In the future, Yap said, they might start to also consider inviting contingents coming from other localities and even those who would be from outside of Bohol province.
Yap said that Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama had also extended an invitation for Tagbilaran City to join in the Sinulog Festival.
Rama, who is also the national president of the League of Cities of the Philippines, extended the invitation when Yap, who was the LCP’s Central Visayas Representative, gave him a call to borrow portalets, barricades and augmentation personnel that they could use for the hosting of Saulog Tabilaran last April 30.
“Naginvite na pud siya (Rama) namo sa Sinulog sa Cebu and that will be discussed in my council kung kaya namo magpadala ngadto sa Cebu,” Yap said.
(He (Rama) again invited us to join the Sinulog sa Cebu and that will be discussed in my council if we can send (a delegation) to Cebu.
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