KIDAPAWAN CITY—While most festivals and foundation anniversaries are usually held in the capitol town or city of the province, North Cotabato did it the other way around.
Instead of holding all the activities in this city, particularly at the capitol grounds in barangay Amas, the provincial government distributed the events to the other towns.
This has made some of the erstwhile sleepy towns of North Cotabato alive as they become hosts to different highlights of the weeklong festival, which coincided with the 97th foundation of the province that kicked off from August 27 to September 1.
Aleosan Mayor Loreto Cabaya told the BusinessMirror that the concept of distributing the events to different towns gave an opportunity to the people of the province to be a part of the celebration.
“The people in the sleepy towns have enjoyed and made these towns alive,” said Cabaya, whose town hosted the boxing event.
Around 1,000 people gathered to watch the championship bouts of the “Batang Cotabato” boxing tournament held in front of the old Aleosan town hall, which is just beside the Davao-Cotabato national highway.
The team from President Roxas bagged the championship crown, beating all of its opponents from Aleosan, Kidapawan and M’lang.
The mayor added that the elimination fights started as early as January this year.
Replicate to the barangays
FOR Carmen Vice Mayor Moises Arendain, this concept has made the municipalities feel that they are also part of the celebration.
With the distribution of events to the other towns, Arendain added that it is worth duplicating in the municipal level by dispensing the events down to the barangays during town fiestas.
Kalivungan, a Menuvu term for gathering and festivity, was first held in May 8, 1974 in this city. It was stopped in 1984 for lack of fund and was only revived in 1996.
But in 1999, then-Gov. Emmanuel Piñol renamed the festivity to Hinugyaw, a Hiligaynon term which means boisterous merrymaking on celebrating the province’s founding anniversary.
But Gov. Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza told reporters it is not for her to say if the festival was successful or not.
“I leave that to the people to judge,” she said.
Mendoza added that the festival recognizes the culture of the indigenous peoples and how the richness of this culture contributed to the growth of the province.
Different towns, different attractions
AMONG the most awaited of the 38 events were the motocross competition held in the remote town of Arakan.
Riders coming from different towns of the province and the nearby provinces Davao del Sur and South Cotabato joined the event.
Arakan is around 54 kilometers from this city or around two hours away by a passenger jeepney.
The Moro-dominated town of Pikit hosted the Maguindanaoan game of “Sepa sa Manguis,” a traditional game which includes a dance-like kicking of the rattan ball toward the manguis or the prize-pot.
On August 31 the exciting “Lumba sa Pulangi” was held in barangay Ugalingan in Carmen town. The event is a banca race participated by fisherfolk coming from the towns of Arakan, Carmen, Kabacan, Matalam and Pikit.
The race was held beside the Ugalingan Bridge along the Kabacan-Bukidnon Highway, which connects the towns of Carmen and Kabacan.
In Libungan, a two-day traditional event on August 30 and 31 called Kavurunan, which features a tribal forum, traditional sports, cultural shows, “Mutya ng Kavurunan” and a tribal mass wedding, was held.
In the nearby town of Alamada, an 8-kilometer water tubing called “Lumba-anay sa Salbabida” was held at the Alamada-Libungan River. It kicked off from barangay Kitacubong in Alamada to barangay Kamansi in Libungan.
Alamada street dancers: champions
MEANWHILE, thousands of people trooped to the capitol grounds on September 1 for the street-dancing competition and “Kumbira sa Kapitolyo,” the culminating events of the festival.
Of the eight contingents that participated in the street-dancing competition, the Alamada contingent outshined the dancers from Pikit, Pigcawayan, Kabacan, Carmen, Arakan, Banisilan and Midsayap.
The Alamada contingent will represent the province in next year’s Sinulog Festival in Cebu City.
The contingents depicted the culture and agricultural practices of their respective tribes in the municipality.
After the culmination, the crowd flocked to the “Kumbira sa Kapitolyo”(Feast at the Capitol) where 30,000 meal packs were prepared.
For just P20, the meal included a cup of rice, a piece of fried chicken, beef steak and bottled water.
Mendoza said the proceeds of 20,000 out of the 30,000 total meal packs would go to the Jesus the Good Shepherd Quasi Parish near the provincial capitol.
