New Pasigarbo performances

CEBU, Philippines — Expect a new and evolved performance from each of the 51 participating contingents in the Aug. 25 Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.

And because the Local Government Unit (LGU)-based contingents are expected to level up their performances, the Cebu Provincial Government has increased the subsidy for each of them, reported the Sugbo News, the Capitol’s news media arm.

Each of the 45 LGUs in mainland Cebu, including the cities of Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue, would now get P3 million, while the towns of Santa Fe, Bantayan, and Madridejos in Bantayan Island and Pilar, Tudela, Poro, and San Francisco in Camotes Island gets P3.5 million each.

The Capitol’s subsidy for each participating contingent last year was just P2 million for the mainland Cebu LGUs and P2.5 million for the island LGUs.

Cebu City, which is joining this year as the 52nd participant but as a guest contingent, would also get the P3 million.

Dubbed as the “festival of all festivals” of Cebu province, the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo is a cultural festival celebrating the founding anniversary of Cebu Province, where the different towns and cities of Cebu come together to showcase their respective festivals.

It is the highlight of the month-long celebration of the province's founding anniversary, which is celebrated every Aug. 6.

Provincial Board Member Red Duterte, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan committee on tourism, said a more grandiose performance are expected from the contingents because competition this year is allowed to include various forms of art, such as visual arts, performing arts, graphic design, costume design, film, among others.

He said Pasigarbo has evolved and contingents must also be innovative—from the dance styles and genres or choreography to the production, which includes costume, design, and set design, graphics, and a lot more.

“So, dili lang ni about dance nalang gyud. Aside from showing an LGU’s culture, heritage, practices, or product, it is a showcase gyud of all the forms of art,” he said during a meeting with mayors, tourism officers, creative directors, and choreographers the other day.

Gov. Gwen Garcia called the meeting to discuss preparations for the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo 2024, which is just about three weeks away.

Duterte said the infusion of other art forms in the performances is in response to the governor’s call for the participants to “level up” by exploring different genres in interpreting the pride of their respective hometowns.

“Not necessarily nga mo-limit ra gyud og ballet, folk dance, or what, because Pasigarbo is so unique that all genres, particularly as Red (Duterte) mentioned, naa tanan…. Atong hatagan og lugway atong mga artists for them to express, to interpret into dance, the pride of place,” also said the governor during the meeting.

Part of the leveling up is that the number of performers for each contingent has also increased from 160 to 200. There will be a bigger stage for this year’s event, and 47 will be competing for the festival queen honors.

As to the awards, the contingents will be judged as to which is the best in ritual showdown; best in street-dancing; best in festival jingle; best in costume; best decorated float; best decorated carroza, and best mayor’s introduction video.

Moreover, the Provincial Government will also get a new set of judges, with fresh perspectives and standards of evaluation, to determine this year’s winners for the “Ritual Showdown” competition.

“I think it would be more fair nga ang atong panel of judges for the ritual showdown will be totally new, bag-o gyud nga set that come from the arts, television, theatre, film, and, of course, dance,” she said.

The governor explained the changes are also in response to the requests of the LGUs. One particular change is that the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo would be back at the CCSC.

And aside from challenging the LGUs to level up during the meeting last Friday, she also briefed the local officials on the competition guidelines.

Of the 52 performers, Lapu-Lapu City is the newest competing contingent for this year. It will showcase “Garbo sa Lapu-Lapu Festival.”

“This really shows the unity of the province and the entire island of Cebu,” Garcia said.

She said that the efforts shown by the towns and cities is an inspiration to her, because it proves that the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo is just a festival with fancy production.

“We have proven from the very start nga ato gyung gipamugna ang mga festivals nga diay dili ni kay paarte-arte lang, dili ni kay aron lang gyud magpasayaw-sayaw lang. This is a very serious economic activity that boosts the economy of each and every local government unit ug tungod niina daghan kaayo og nahatagan og panginabuhi,” she said.

“It is helping such a wide spectrum of the Cebuano community this is also one of the reasons why our economy keeps on going up,” Garcia added.

She said that as Pasigarbo improves each year, it also helps a wide spectrum of the Cebuano community, particularly the choreographers, artists, designers, and songwriters, among others, who were not just given the chance to showcase their talents and skills but were also given a means of livelihood.

Garcia likewise said that while economic impact is one of the quantifiable effects of Pasigarbo sa Sugbo, the most precious is the uplift of the Cebuanos’ sense of pride, which cannot be measured.

After the drawing of lots made during the same meeting to determine the sequence for the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo, Tubod Festival of Tuburan town will be the first to perform, followed by Lapyahan Festival of San Remigio and then the Hinulawan Festival of Toledo city, with Balamban’s Lingaw-Sadya Festival as the final performance. — (FREEMAN)