Tabok Festivity

CEBU, Philippines - Filipino cultural dance competitions have always created a remarkable impression to us who know how vital our culture has shaped Philippine history and our everyday lives.

So the moment Tabok, Mandaue City Councilor Elmer Rivera invited this writer to complete and chair a panel of three distinguished judges for the said competition, an affirmation sealed the deal to evaluate eight presentations coming from clustered sitios.

These presentations were benchmarks of the locality to upgrade cultural awareness and inculcate a deeper appreciation for Filipino arts through dance, music, beats and pattern.

Each year, Tabok has never failed to answer the call to satiate this need. The untiring participation of its locales, defying age brackets, clearly announced its strong sense for patriotism. A patriotism that love for culture and the arts, a manner perpetuated by themselves to boost what is left of the dying cultural awareness now bombarded with tri-media updates of the western civilization.

The Opening Salvo/Cultural Dance Competition last September 28 was one of the highlights commemorating the baranggay's religious festivity.

Filled with colorful presentations and memorable production concepts, the audience sat in awe as the presentors revealed their dance pieces onstage.

In the end, Sto. Rosario and Sta. Cruz outweighed the competition through their interpretive performance of the Cordillera suite. Northern upper Tabok, through their rendition of "Subli" and "Karatong," bagged 2nd place. Third place went to Almers and Paradise for their Pandanggo sa Ilaw. (FREEMAN)