Dapitan City’s Kinabayo Festival

Dapitan City, Philippines  — The Oroquieta City Performing Arts Group bested the four other bets from Zamboanga Del Norte and Misamis Occidental in the Final Showdown (Category A’s Best in Costume and Best in Street Dancing), while Dapitan City’s Cawa-Cawa Dance Troupe won the Mardi Gras Queen, Best in Horse Mascot, Best in Costume and Best in Street Dancing in the City Wide Level Category during the recently held Kinabayo Festival 2015’s Street Dancing Competition. Other winners were Tribu ni San Vicente, Category B grand winner and Tribu ni Tatay, Mardi Gras Queen. The competition was held at JRMSU Sports Arena in Dapitan City.

Kinabayo Festival is celebrated annually in July. It shows colorful pageantry and devotion as Dapitan City celebrates the feast day of St. James (Señor Santiago) to mark its Christianization by the Spanish Jesuits in the 1600s.

Meanwhile, the All Star Basketball Friendship Game was held at the Cultural Center between Dapitan Team led by Gloria de Dapitan Complex administrator Jonathan de Leon and Tanduay Manila Team headed by Tanduay president and COO Lucio “Bong” Tan Jr. and former PBA player Estong Ballesteros.

The week-long festival was spearheaded by Dapitan City Mayor Rosalina Jalosjos  with Dakak Properties VP for sales and marketing Svetlana “Lana” Jalosjos-de Leon. Among the activities were traditional horse race competition, beach volleyball game, moto-cross, World Costumes Festival, Miss Dapitan City coronation night and Festival of Colors parade.

Performers during the festivities in Gloria de Dapitan and Gloria’s Fantasyland were Asia’s Got Talent 2015 finalist Junior New System, GMA’s Dance Fest 2013 winner Velocity X Dance Crew and GMA 7’s Bet ng Bayan finalist Jomar Abjelina, also known as Fiero.

Kinabayo Festival 2015 is in partnership with Dakak Park and Beach Resort,  Gloria’s Fantasyland, Tanduay, Thea Complex, Ultra Mega, Kokuryu Cosmetics and Gloria’s Bowlodrome.