Bucad Caduhaan tops Dinagsa streetdance contest
Impressive. Breathtaking.
Engaging. Dazzling.
These best describe the scenes and sights in the just-concluded Dinagsa Festival, a top cultural attraction in northern Negros.
Tribu Bucad Caduhaan bested seven other groups to emerge grand champion in the 2024 Dinagsa Festival Street Dance Competition held on Jan. 28.
The performers of Barangays Burgos, Cadiz Viejo and Caduhaan dethroned Matinambi Tres (representing Barangays Mabini, Tinampaan and Zone 3), which was named first runner-up.
The street dance extravaganza was the main highlight of the 50th Dinagsa Festival in Cadiz City, which was held Jan. 12-28.
The champion tribe received P200,000 while the second placer got P150,000.
Adjudged second runner-up were the performers of Tribu Sicablun Quatro (Barangays Sicaba, Luna and Zone 4) which received P100,000 while third runner-up was Tribu Maraynon of Barangays Zones 2 and 5 (P75,000).
The four other tribes, which each received P50,000, were Majeca (Magsaysay, Jerusalem and Cabahug), Tibanda (Tiglawigan, Banquerohan and Daga), Hitalon (Barangays Bonifacio, Zones 1 and 6) and Sewanara (Barangays Celestino Villacin and V.F. Gustilo).
Bucad Caduhaan was also adjudged Best in Sound and Rhythm and Best in Performance, while Matinambi Tres took three special awards – Most Disciplined, Best in Costume and Best in Choreography. Each minor award was worth P25,000.
The Matinambi Tres tribe, likewise, won three special prizes – each worth P10,000 – for Charliemen Basa as Best Local Choreographer, Best 50th Dinagsa Festival Theme and Best Local Costume Designer (Christopher John Puerta).
Tribu Maraynon took the other special award – Best in Dance Ritual.
PATIKANAY. Another dazzler was the drumbeating competition held for the first time during the festival.
In the inaugural Neon ‘Patikanay’ contest held on Jan.12, the festival opening day, Tribu Sicablun Quatro romped off with the grand prize of P25,000 and another P6,000 for having the Best in Costume and Best in Presentation, each with a P3,000-prize.
Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. lauded the performers for producing their own beats and sounds and said Patikanay will be included as a main feature in succeeding stagings of the festival.
Named first runner up with a P20,000-cash prize was Tribu Maraynon.
Tribu Matinambi Tres, Bucad Caduhaan, Majeca and Tibanda were second to fifth runners-up, winning P15,000, P10,000, P7,000 and 5,000, respectively.
Winning the consolation prizes were Tribu Hitalon and Tribu Sewanara.
TUPV coed crowned Golden Dinagsa Queen
A 19-year-old Chemical Engineering freshman at the Technological University of the Philippines Visayas was crowned Golden Dinagsa Queen of Cadiz City at the Cadiz Arena on Jan.26.
Ayah Jane Sucajel, of Barangay Tinampaan, bested nine other hopefuls for the queen’s title in the festival which is marking its 50th year.
She took home P50,000.
Sucajel was also named Best in Festival Attire, Best in Evening Gown and Miss Photogenic.
Lyra Marie Rabanal, also of Tinampaan, and Barangay Zone 3’s Avegale Santos were declared first and second runners-up, with P30,000 and P20,000 in prizes, respectively.
Rabanal was proclaimed Miss Talent while Santos won the Best in Swimsuit prize. Each minor award was worth P5,000.
Sucajel said she could hardly believe she won and expressed: “Thank God that I was able to overcome my fear.”
As the Golden Dinagsa Queen, Ayah vowed to help the city government through enhanced tourism advocacy and promotions, particularly of the dried fish industry, a major source of livelihood in the city
For her, the ‘uga’ “is a symbol of Cadiz’s flourishing fishing industry.”
Leading Cadiz folk on witnessing the event was Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante and wife Mariel with Gov. Bong Lacson, Victorias City Mayor Javi Benitez and other city officials.
Movie and television actors from Manila – Paul Salas and Luke Conde – performed during the pageant while actress Liane Valentin led this year’s panel of judges.
Dinagsa painting tilt winners
An architecture student of La Consolacion College topped the province-wide Golden Dinagsa painting contest held as a highlight of the annual festival in Cadiz City.
Therese Marie Ortaliz of Bacolod City bested hundreds of entries in the competition which was held with an open theme.
Her entry, depicting the life and struggles of hacienda workers highlighted by the sugarcanes and the hardworking carabao, got the grand prize of P100,000.
Vicky Gaspe of Silay City was named first runner-up with her art work of kids frolicking on the beach. She won P50,000.
Allen Descalsota of Cadiz City, with his digital age-inspired piece, won P35,000 as third placer.
Named third and fourth runners-up were Cadiznon Jonafer Chavez and Sagay’s Nestor Angelo Dequina, respectively. Chavez took home P25,000 while Dequina got P20,000 ,
Winning P15,000 each as finalists were Psyche Amor Distor of Valladolid, Analyn Trespicio of La Castellana, John Steve Gabana of Cadiz City and John Ryan Locsin of Bacolod City.
Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said he was overwhelmed by the turnout of entries and the art pieces as well.
Each painting, he said, tells an amazing story,
The mayor said the painting contest in Cadiz has become an “institution” as it is being held twice every year – during Dinagsa Festival in January and on Charter Day in July.
The ‘Parola’: Symbol of hope, progress
The newly-constructed “parola”, or light house, in Barangay Banquerohan, Cadiz City was blessed, inaugurated and turned over to the Philippine Coast Guard on Jan. 24.
Situated about 100 meters from the 2-ha. Cadiz City Commercial Port, the new parola, said Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr., will play a vital role in the flourishing fishing industry and other business ventures in the area.
“It’s our new beacon of hope,” he stressed, saying the new parola signals that Cadiz is beyond ready to welcome more investors to come – by land or sea.
“It’s a tourism thing, too, as it attracts throngs of people during night time,” the mayor added.
The city government spent about P10 million for the construction of the structure that is surrounded by giant armor rocks so it can withstand the harsh elements of nature, including giant waves and extreme high tide levels.
Escalante also said the new “parola” will cement the formidable partnership between the city and PCG.
“And it’s deemed necessary to construct such in order to proceed to the final decommissioning of the old ‘parola’ situated at the mouth of Hitalon river,” the mayor explained.
The commissioning of the new “parola” will commence once it is registered not only in the country but also internationally, he further said.
Accepting the project was PCG Regional Head Capt. Weniel Azcuna, who commended and thanked Escalante for pursuing the construction of the new Cadiz parola. It symbolizes hope and progress in Cadiz, he reiterated.
The new parola, the mayor said, also compliments the city’s newest investment and tourism branding: “Cadiz City: Land of Splendid Opportunities.” | Festival details courtesy of Erwin Delilan
