CEBU, Philippines - Twenty-one barangays in Consolacion participated in the 14th Sarok Festival yesterday held at the Government Center in barangay Nangka.
The barangays were clustered into five contingents so they would be able to pool resources and come up with better and grander performances.
Dancers from barangays Pulpogan, Danglag, Jugan, Panoypoy, Casili, Sacsac, Cabangahan, and Polog; as well as from barangays Tolotolo, Poblacion Oriental, Poblacion Occidental and Cansaga join the 14th Sarok Festival in Consolacion. These barangays were grouped into Tribus Makugihon, Panaghiusa and Magsasarok.
Mayor Avelino Gungob attributed the success of the festival to the support of the Sangguniang Bayan headed by Vice Mayor Ember Alinsug and the Department of Education.
The “sarok” is a type of hat or a gear worn mostly by farmers when out tilling the soil to protect the head from the heat or from the rain.
The mayor said that after World War II, the Consolacionanons began to produce the sarok and supply it even to the other municipalities in the province.
The town used to celebrate Sarok Festival on the 14th of February which is the founding day of Consolacion.
However, this is the first time that the festival became a part of the fiesta celebration, said Sarok Festival overall chairperson Analee Gungob.
This, she said, is undertaken to make the fiesta even grander and at the same time to welcome the balikbayans.
The Sarok Festival is also a way of showing Consolacion’s support to the efforts of the provincial government in the promotion of tourism in the province and to the one town, one product campaign of the Department of Tourism. — Jose P. Sollano/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)