Dancers of Bogo City contingent have been working hard in their rehearsals for the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo 2024 performance. | City of Bogo/Facebook
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Just days before the ‘Festival of Festivals’ brings festivities to Cebu City this weekend, preparations among contingents are still underway.
A total of 51 contingents will compete in this year’s Pasigarbo sa Sugbo at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) from August 25 to 26.
Kuyayang Festival
With only two to three days before their scheduled blocking at the venue, the contingent from Bogo City, which will showcase the Kuyayang Festival, has doubled its efforts in preparation.
Bogo City, a 6th-class municipality located approximately 100 kilometers north of Cebu City, is this year’s contingent no. 43.
“Nagka-grabe among preparations unya nag-apas nagyud mi. Sa among performance, out of 100 percent, karon is 80 [percent] pa gyud. Naa pa gyuy 20 [percent] kulang pa ba,” said Rage Ian Vincent Mabanto, the contingent’s assistant choreographer.
Mabanto mentioned that they cannot consider their preparations 100 percent complete yet, as adjustments are still needed for the props and street dancing routine.
He explained that upon realizing that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) along Osmeña Boulevard was under construction, they had to practice using only two lanes due to the limited space.
Their props are set to be transported to Cebu City in vans on August 22, and their 198 performers will arrive the next day for their scheduled blocking at the CCSC stage on August 23.
“Ilang i-expect sa among gi-prepare nga performance is [ang] mapakita gyud namo kung unsa si Kuyayang ug giunsa paagi sa mga Bogohanon nga ma feel gyud ang love sa each other kay mao man gyud na ang concept sa Kuyayang,” Mabanto said.
Katunggan Festival
In addition to Bogo City, the contingent from Tudela in Camotes, Cebu, is also working hard to meet the audience’s expectations on Sunday.
Tudela Mayor Greman Solante told CDN Digital that as of Monday night, August 19, they are “ready” to transport their props on August 21 and their performers on August 22.
Tudela, a 5th-class municipality in the province of Cebu, is this year’s contingent no. 8 and will showcase the Katunggan Festival.
Solante stated that while their preparations are not yet 100 percent complete, he is optimistic that they will be more prepared during their blocking for the ritual showdown and street dancing.
Solante has been closely monitoring the rehearsals of their performers since they began practicing over two months ago. He shared that witnessing how their town’s performers have given their best efforts has been heartwarming.
Moreover, when their props arrived in Cebu City on Wednesday, they needed to reassemble some of them, as certain elements had to be completed on-site to preserve the quality for their ritual showdown.
Both Tudela and Bogo City contingents expressed that they are not necessarily aiming for a Top 5 finish, as long as they deliver the best performance possible for the spectators.
Panagtagbo Festival
Meanwhile, in Mandaue City, preparations for Sunday’s event are now nearly complete.
City Councilor Marie Immaline Cortes-Zafra, chairperson of the Committee on Tourism, stated that their preparations are now 96 percent complete and will surely reach 100 percent by Friday, just in time for the send-off and closed-door pre-showcase performance with officials.
Cortes-Zafra mentioned that they are currently focusing on the finishing touches and weighing the costumes of the dancers and the festival queen.
A total of 100 dancers and 100 propsmen from the city’s cultural dance troupe will represent Mandaue. They have been practicing every night since June this year.
Their goal is to improve on last year’s 7th-place finish.
The city councilor, who declined to provide specific details about the performance, said that the city would be showcasing the Panagtagbo Festival.
She also mentioned that Mayor Jonas Cortes’ wife, First Lady Sarah Walker-Cortes, is actively involved in the preparations and monitoring the progress.
“We are very confident because year-after-year, Mandaue has improved quite a lot kung makadungog bitaw mo sa uban pod nga LGUs, mangutana unsa naman say pakulo sa Mandaue, so they are always looking forward. Always jud na nga focus ta sa Panagtagbo, last year, naa man ta atong drone nga dove, watch out lang ta this year kung unsa na sad ang pakulo sa Mandaue,” said Cortes-Zafra.
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