Mountain Festival attracts kids, adults

The city's annual Mountain Festival has become a source of respite not only for adults but most especially for the children living in a place where there are no malls or entertainment centers to drive boredom away.

While the yearly event held at barangay Pung-ol Sibugay is purposely aimed at promoting and featuring the city's mountain barangays as a recreation and tourist destination, the children living there have special reasons to always look forward to the festival.

"Nalingaw mi, daghan man dula og premyo," the children chorused when asked on how they feel about having the said annual activity in their place.

Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, who is also the president of the Philippine Councilors League - Cebu City Chapter, said they have prepared various prizes for the children - from toys to food - so they too would enjoy the said affair.

The Mountain Festival is a joint project of the PCL and the city government, conceptualized and launched three years ago to promote and feature the different mountain barangays of the city as a recreation and tourist destination.

For this year's festivity, the city government allocated P300,000 to supplement the P150,000 budget of the PCL.

The two-day annual event kicked off yesterday morning with a Mass, followed by activities such as a trade fair, horse racin, Game Fowl Olympics and other sports activities.

There is also going to be an "Ecotrek" with a theme, "Pakigmahal sa Kinaiyahan," to be held today.

This year's festival also featured an adventure race dubbed as "Sugbuanong Aven-turista" and the Tom O. Mountain Bike Challenge.

The bikers left Cebu City Hall grounds at 6:45 a.m. yesterday, passed through the IT Park in barangay Lahug before going up to Ayala Heights. The bikers reached the barangay at past 12 noon.

Although there were less people in the morning, councilor Augustus "Jun" Pe Jr., who is the overall chairman, said they expect more people to come in the evening because eight local bands are expected to entertain an estimated crowd of 5,000, including those from the city's urban barangays. - Cristina C. Birondo