Cebu deserves to be called Festival Island, says Garcia

• By Rizel S. Adlawan

Monday, January 16, 2012

FOR the eighth straight year, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia danced in yesterday’s Sinulog grand parade as a guest performer.

She played the role of a Spanish señorita and danced with the La Torta Festival contingent from Argao, Cebu.

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She said her costume was different from those of the previous years, when she dressed as a goddess of the sea (Bantayan) and the queen of the harvest (Tabuelan).

La Torta’s presentation was Spanish-inspired and was meant to pay homage to the image of Sto. Niño that the Spaniards brought to the Cebu.

For the governor, the exposure of the La Torta Festival was a recognition of the fact that Cebu’s towns now have their own festivals, unique to the towns and cities of the Province of Cebu.

She said Cebu has festivals in every town, which makes it deserving of the title “Festival Island.”

She said her participation in the Sinulog has merged the festival with a Capitol event, the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.

The Pasigarbo is held every August.

For this year, 10 towns joined the Sinulog.

Asked if she will still dance in the Sinulog after her term ends, the governor said she’s not yet sure where she’ll be going after 2013.

Senators

Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. arrived early at the sports complex. He said it was his 10th time to witness the Sinulog.

Former senator Miguel Zubiri requested the Sto. Niño to always protect his family and two children. He also offered a prayer for the victims of tropical storm Sendong, which hit Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Negros Oriental last month.

It was Zubiri’s 15th year to attend the grand parade.

Party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño, who was a first-timer, said he wanted to see how different the Sinulog celebration is from Aklan’s Ati-atihan.

He described the celebration as grand.

“Nothing matches it in terms of scale. It also contributed much to the tourism industry of the country,” he told Sun.Star Cebu during a lunch gathering hosted by Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung at UCPB along Gen. Maxilom Ave. He said he will come back next year to witness the Sinulog.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 16, 2012.