TACLOBAN CITY- Despite of the massive destruction wrought by supertyphoon Yolanda to this city and large part of Leyte, the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals will still be stage on June 28.
The festivals served as one of the highlights of Tacloban’s annual fiesta. The launching of the twin-bill festival was announced in a press conference last June 20 held at the RTR Plaza by Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and Palo Mayor Remedios “Matin” Petilla, honorary chair and founder of the Kasadyaan Festival respectively and Eugene Tan, president of the Pintados Festival.
According to them, despite of what happened to Tacloban and parts of the province, the staging of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals has to continue. “The holding of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals has to go on despite of what we have experienced due to Yolanda. This will serve as our thanksgiving to our patron saint that we survived Yolanda,” Mayor Petilla said.
Tan, however, said that contrary to years’ past, this year’s celebration of the festivals will be low key. For this year, the participating contingents will come from outside Leyte save for the Buyugan Festival of Abuyog, Leyte. The participating contingents are the Kawayan-Banigan Festival of Basey, Samar; Masskara Festival of Bacolod City; Uway Festival of Talalora, Samar; Tribu Lumad Basakanon of Cebu.
Gov. Petilla said that the provincial government has allocated P300,000 for each contingent covering their transportation and accommodation. The contingents are to stay at the Leyte State University and the Eastern Visayas State University. While there are five contingents participating the Pintados Festival. And unlike before, there will be no competition among the participating contingents, the organizers said. (DESSA MAE CASTRO/KAYE ANNE ORALLER, LNU-Intern)
