Elmer “Jojo” Labella (from left), Sinulog Foundation executive director; Lawyer Collin Rosell, city administrator; Lawyer Jerone Castillo; and Ernest Herrera, Mayor’s special assistant; briefs the media on Thursday, June 8, about the preparations and activities for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations. | Niña Mae Oliverio
It will be a different kind of Independence Day celebration this coming June 12, 2023 for Cebu City as there will be street dancing, pageantry, and “a staging of the dramatization based on the historical facts of victory.”
Ten Cebu City barangays will compete in the competition called the “Garbo sa KaBarangayan” Showcase, which is part of the festivities for the celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence this June 12, 2023, Monday.
The barangays will be competing for the top prize of P100,000.
Not a Sinulog dance festival
However, Ernest Herrera, special assistant to the mayor, emphasized during a press briefing on June 8 that this competition of local festivals would not be a Sinulog dance festival.
It will be similar to the Sinulog festival, but it will instead showcase various local festivals that will exhibit a special “victor dramatization” of Cebu’s proud history.
Through the “Garbo sa KaBarangayan” Showcase, Cebuanos will be presenting their talents and their love for their country by competing between and among the participating barangays through a street dance competition.
With significance to the national holiday, this initiative is in support of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines’ celebration of Kalayaan 2023 with the theme, “Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan.”
READ: Independence Day commemorative coins launched
June 12 activities in Cebu City
On June 12, Monday, Cebuanos could participate in the Independence Day celebration by attending the Mass to be held at 5:00 a.m. at Fuente Osmena, said Labella.
A parade will then follow, which will start from Fuente to Plaza Independencia, where the final program will take place.
According to Herrera, the winners of the street dance competition will be receiving cash prizes.
P100,000 will be given to the 1st place winner, P75,000 for the 2nd place, P50,000 for the 3rd place, P30,000 for the 4th place, and P20,000 for the 5th place.
Participating Cebu City barangays
The following are the participating barangays for the competition:
Barangay Apas
Barangay Sudlon I
Barangay Guadalupe
Barangay Suba
Barangay Pasil
Barangay Quiot
Barangay Kalunasan
Barangay Day-as
Barangay San Nicolas Proper
Barangay Inayawan
From the initial list of 13 participants, three barangays: Mabolo, Poblacion Pardo, and Cambinocot backed out of the showcase due to concerns with preparations, said Herrera.
Ensuring clean streets
Also in connection with this celebration, the local government is determined to ensure that the streets are clean and rubbish-free in time for the festivities.
Lawyer Collin Rosell, Cebu City Administrator, said that all departments in charge had already finished their preparations and some were already implementing their plans to maintain cleanliness within the city.
Rosell also relayed that Mayor Michael Rama was encouraging all residents of Cebu to do their part and to contribute to the government’s mission to keep the city clean, especially on the day that our country would be celebrating the anniversary of its long-awaited freedom.
He said that a city-wide cleanup would be implemented on June 10, Friday, to comply with Rama’s ultimatum for this year’s Independence Day celebration.
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