Panaad closure highlights need to rationalize festivals

No gainsaying. The Pa­na­ad Festival ended Sunday with a major bang. Thousands braved the drizzle to attend the various functions that marked the end of the weeklong festivities.

But that also highlighted the need for the Department of Tourism to rationalize the holding of local festivities. Many failed to attend the Binirayan Festival in Antique’s San Jose town.

Binirayan, according to record, was founded by the late Antique ex-governor Emilio Javier. And the festivities were to evoke the legend of Bornean Datus and how they settled in Panay Island.

Antique Gov. Sally Zaldivar Perez emphasized that it also honors the memory of Javier who died a hero’s death shortly before the EDSA Revolution. He was fleeing assassins’ bullets whittled fleeing them through the town plaza.

Anyway, the point is that with both the Pasalamat Festival of La Carlota and Panaad competing for the attention of vacationers and tourists, usually what happens was that Binirayan got second billing. Only cultural and history buffs took pains to go to Antique for the Binirayan.

That’s the same situation in the case of the Sto. Nino Festival. Both the Kalibo Ati-atihan and the Iloilo City Dinagyang competed for the fan-loving revelers. And usually, the primary winner is the Sinulog of Cebu City which has grown into an international affair that draws thousands of foreign visitors.

The same with Dinagyang, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas had gone out of his way to project it abroad as something worth the while of visitors to attend, including the side trips to tourism spots in Guimaras  province and other nearby scenic spots of Iloilo province.

No doubt about it. Boracay remains the prime destination of tourists and fun-lovers. But somehow they also tend to attend festivities nearby the island resort, and I have noted over the years, that the Kalibo Ati-atihan and the Ati-ati of Ibajay have attracted more Boracay visitors.

But that only reinforces the need for the local festivities to be projected to an international audience so that they can prepare ahead for diversionary trips to other festivals such as Ibajay’s Ati-Ati.

But there are things that need the guiding hand of the Department of Tourism (DOT). Not just informal agreement by local executives.

M. Padilla, Talisay win Panaad awards

Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco said the Panaad Festival was a success because all the towns and component cities of the province had participated in the weeklong bash.

The competition for the best booths were won by Mosie Padilla town and Talisay City. The theme of the competition was Natural, Adventure and Wellness.

The other winners were Cadiz City, second; Escalante, third; Silay, fourth; and Bago, fifth; according to Marlon Sanogal, festival director.

Despite the decision of the Board of Judges, I still must commend the Bago City booth as the best managed. And while their offerings were far and in between, their quality had to  be considered: tourism officer Del Castillo should be credited with the uniformed personnel of the booth plus the fact that the display was tastefully arranged.

The Board of Judges was headed by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority consultant Nilo Agustin with tourism officers Norberto Arcangel of Mandaluyong, Roselyn Merlin of Surigao, Peter de Vera of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Joseph Peres of the DOT.

The contest for the best festival was won by Kalag-kalag of Isabela town. Winner in the folk dance competition, rural category, was Himamaylan City.

All in all, the last week was one exhilarating adventure. And it also proved enlightening in that it showed me and the other Panaad goers that the organic food has become more popular. So with organic food production.

In short the vision of the late Gov. Joseph Marañon for Negros Island to become the organic center of the country may be nearing fruition.