TACLOBAN CITY – The permit for the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals, which organizers applied for in March, is still pending with the Tacloban City government.
Pintados Foundation president Eugene Tan provided this update when asked about their preparations for the grandest festival competition in Eastern Visayas, held in relation with the annual Tacloban City fiesta.
“We were not given a permit for the nightly activities we are planning to hold at the RTR Plaza, but we are still hoping they will grant us a permit to hold a parade. Our request was sent to the city government in February or March, but we have yet to receive a response,” Tan said.
“Despite the lack of response, we continue preparing for the festivals and other activities,” he added.
The Pintados Festival, organized by members of Tacloban’s business community in 1987, and the Kasadyaan Festival, a provincial government-organized competition of festivals from various parts of the region, are typically held on the day before the Tacloban City fiesta.
The date was later changed to June 27 and, last year, to June 24, as decided by the city government.
Tan said that their organization usually applies for parade permits early due to the extensive preparation required for the festival.
“Preparing for a contingent is not easy. It takes time to rehearse, find choreographers, musicians, costumes, and props. You need at least six months of preparation for each contingent,” he explained.
In 2023, after large gatherings were permitted following a three-year prohibition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their organization learned that their parade permit request was granted less than two weeks before the festival competition.
“Our only goal is to bring joy to the people. Since this festival started in 1987, we’ve seen how tourists enjoy it and how local businesses profit from it. We hope for a peaceful celebration in honor of our city fiesta,” Tan added.
This is not the first time the group has encountered difficulties obtaining a permit from the city government.
In 2011, the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival sought to conduct a parade using their usual route, but the city government barricaded it and diverted the parade, leading to a standoff between festival and city officials.
In 2023, the festival organizers applied for a permit but were allowed to parade around the city on June 24 instead of the usual June 27.
For this year’s Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals, Tan said they expect four contingents for the Pintados Festival and 10 contingents for the Kasadyaan Festival.
The Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals has produced several national championship-winning contingents, such as the Buyugan Festival of Abuyog, Lingganay Festival of Alangalang, Pasaka Festival of Tanauan, and Buraburon Festival of Burauen.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
