Hilongos ends 2012 with Alikaraw Festival

CEBU, Philippines - Dancers of the local government unit of Hilongos, Leyte (see photo) performed their street dance presentation, during the Alikaraw Festival held last Dec. 31.

The Hilongos LGU, led by Mayor Jose Emery Roble and Edmund Vilbar, president of local government employees association, celebrates the Alikaraw Festival every end of the year as a way of giving thanks to the blessings bestowed upon the town for the year.

The festival started with a parade, participated by different government agencies and private sectors with their corresponding street dancers dressed in colorful costumes, depicting various flowers.

The dances also symbolizes gratitude to the imaginary petal fairies (water fairy, air fairy and light fairy) that sway their magic petals to make sure that flowers grow and bloom to their fullest. The petal fairies serve as guardians of flowers and ensure that the environment is ideal for healthy living.

There is no specific translation of Alikaraw in English but it connotes raucous gaiety or mirthful celebration. It symbolizes flowers that, when they grow and bloom, indicate that the environment is in a better situation. — Text and photo by Edison delos Santos Vilbar