Kabkaban fest focuses on Carcar art, culture

This year's Kabkaban Festival in the municipality of Carcar focuses on the town's contribution to Philippine art, culture and religion.

Located about 40 kilometers southwest of Cebu City, Carcar boast of various architecturally significant vintage houses built during the Spanish Era, prominent artists and life works of Carcar religious founders.

In yesterday's fourth festival, according to Valentino Mancao Sandiego, chairman of the organizing committee of the Kabkaban festival and one of the board members of the Carcar Heritage Conservation Society, the town shies away from having its celebration too commercialized. He said the participating contingents are only making an offering to the town's patron saint St. Catalina de Alexandria.

Sandiego conceptualized the Kabkaban in 2002 as a cultural heritage festival. He said the festival was also created to serve as an impetus for other cultural and educational activities.

The festival was kicked off by a bidding for a painting of international award-winning Carcaranon painter Romulo Galicano. His piece, the "Semana Sante sa Carcar" was auctioned and sold at P276,000 to Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry former president Anastacio Montuerto Jr.

There was also an exhibit of Carcar's artists and the life works of Carcar religious founders Monsignor Teofilo Camomot, Exequil Barangan as the founders of two Carcar religious congregations of nuns with Padre Anastacio del Corro, the founder of Carcar's St. Catherine School.

The bidding was followed by a parade of nine contingents in a showcase of Carcar's famous local delicacies and products. The town is famous for ampao, a native rice cake, chicharon, bucarillo, takoy or sweet pomelo, and shoes.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who released P500,000 for the festival last Friday, and Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama, also attended the festival yesterday.

In late September 2005, the municipality passed Cebu's first heritage ordinance that protects more than 60 heritage buildings, monuments and historic sites. This includes the Carcar Kiosk and Rotunda, dispensary building, municipal swimming pool and bathhouse and among others.

Just this year, Rep. Eduardo Gullas has filed a bill seeking to declare the Municipality of Carcar as a national cultural heritage zone. The Carcar's rotunda, a principal landmark, is unique and remarkable for its design and scope, Gullas said.

A cultural heritage zone refers to historical, anthropological, archaeological and artistic geographical areas and settings that are actually culturally important to the country.

Under House Bill 3762, Carcar, once declared a cultural heritage zone, shall be subject to the rules and regulations governing the preservation of such sites. - Garry B. Lao