Kalunasan launches "Mangga Festival"

CEBU, Philippines - With the aim to promote Brgy. Kalunasan as the main mango plantation area in Cebu City, its barangay officials launched the first ever Mangga Festival yesterday.

“The first Mangga Festival aims to reclaim the ‘Mangga sa Guadalupe’ as the main product of Brgy. Kalunasan and soon be known as ‘Mangga sa Kalunasan’. We wanted to emphasize that the mangoes in Guadalupe were planted and harvested here in our barangay,” said Councilor Marvin Leyson.

A former part of Brgy. Guadalupe, Brgy. Kalunasan has a huge area of mango plantation located at the upland sitios of the barangay, he added.

“Mangoes are grown in the upland areas of our barangay and are marketed in various markets of Guadalupe where it is easier for the mango growers to deliver their harvested mangoes,” said Leyson in a press conference yesterday.

Celebrating its 77th founding anniversary as a barangay, they will also have the 1st Mangga Festival Dance Competition on June 11 and the Mr. and Ms. Kalunasan 2012 on June 10. The city alloted P283,000 for the entire festivities.

The dance competition features nine contingents clustered from the 32 sitios comprising the said barangay.

The grand champion will be receiving a cash prize of P20,000 while the second and third placers will get P15,000 and P10,000, respectively. The non winners will get P5,000 each as a consolation prize.

There will also be a street dancing competition, wherein the winner will get P5,000 while the second and third placers will have P3,000 and P2,000, respectively. The barangay also shouldered P10,000 for the nine contingents for their costumes and props.

The festival chairman, Roy Branzuela, said they made sure that the dance steps will be different from that of the Sinulog Mardigras as they will be using a Latin-inspired beat for the festival.  (FREEMAN)