A declamation piece that paid tribute to women made Carvi Lacson stand out from 13 other contenders during the talent competition in La Carlota City Wednesday evening.
Lacson, representing Barangay Yubo, got the attention of the audience, but most importantly, the board of judges when she emphatically delivered every line in her piece that pointed out the uniqueness, strength and indomitable spirit of a woman. Her stage presence was strong, performance intense and powerful, plus her fierceness made her deliver the message and connect to the crowd that broke into resounding applause after her performance.
Erika Jean Peñacuba’s Raragsakan number was among my top 3 favorites. Raragsakan is an adaptation of a tradition in which Kalinga women gather and prepare for a budong, or peace pact. An online article published on the website of Star of Hope stated that the Kalinga borrowed the word Raragsakan from the Ilocano, which means merriment.
While she was dancing, Peñacuba displayed her skill in balancing a labba basket on her head. As she was dancing on stage, she illustrated the languid grace of a tribe otherwise known as fierce warriors. The candidate’s walk imitated how Kalinga women climb up the rice terraces in the Mountain Provinces of the Philippines. Her costume and props were big plus factors in winning 2nd runner-up.
Meanwhile, Maria Jema Regla belted Kitchie Nadal’s hit “Huwag na Huwag Mong Sasabihin.” Regla, who was dressed like a female rock star, won first runner-up. She was aglow on stage, under the lights while wearing a black and white ensemble of long-sleeved body hugging one-piece dress and thigh-high black pointed boots.
I was chairman of the board of judges that was served with a smorgasbord of beauties, talents and skills. What made our jobs even more challenging that evening was the daunting task of having to choose only three from the 14 beauties. Some sang, the other candidates performed criminal tango, pop samba, Latin and folk dances. There were also candidates who showed the audience some magic tricks and displayed skills in playing percussion instruments.
Beautiful and bright! I’d say these are the best adjectives to describe the aural and visual treat that was spread in a quick but smooth production ran by Blue Monster Crew, Inc. headed by Direk Cristine Rosales, the daughter of Ms. Kitchie Benedicto and production manager Kaye Cruz Gullon, who both I met personally backstage prior to the show. Each candidate was given two minutes to perform, just the right amount of time to enable the jurors to rate each presentation.
I had a chat with Dr. Leah Jalando-on, wife of Mayor Rex Jalando-on, who said they have missed staging the Pasalamat Festival and the Pasalamat Festival Queen Search for the La Carloteños to enjoy.
According to Dr. Jalando-on, the staging of the 41st Pasalamat Festival this year is a highly-anticipated event because the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to stay home, prioritize the essentials in life and cancel or postpone tourism and leisure pursuits. They had to wait for more or less 3 years before they could again treat locals and tourists to this unique festival that is popular for its happy, festive and danceable rhythm brought by drumbeats.
The Pasalamat Festival is the community’s way of thanking the heavens for a bountiful harvest and, add to that, the relaxing of protocols that allowed the revival of festivities and gatherings after the massive vaccination rollout against COVID.
However, with the recent pronouncements of the Inter-Agency Task Force Against COVID amid the monitored increasing number of cases in some provinces, Dr. Jalando-on said people will have to be extra cautious and must observe the minimum health protocols like the wearing of face masks especially in crowded places, if they want to continue to freely move around and enjoy tourism-related activities that help generate jobs and propel the economy.
Cheryl Decena, Supervising Tourism Operations Officer of Negros Occidental, who was also one of the judges during the talent competition, stressed the importance of staging local shows and festivals regardless of the size of the event because of its multiplier effect.
“It affects the community economically. Even the smallest suppliers, the vendors, the pedicab drivers up to the major suppliers benefit from these events. It has been proven that if you are able to give income to one member of a family, it benefits 5 to 7 individuals. The effect really trickles down,” explained Decena.
Furthermore, she added that even if COVID cases are slightly rising again, local governments are doing their best to manage the situation, enforce the appropriate measures to contain the rising cases in affected areas while also helping sustain the economic activity that is much needed to be able to keep families afloat.
“Of course, you can see the news, there’s a little bit of COVID cases rising again. But if we only base our actions on those fears, then we will never be able to get the economy moving again. It’s very important for our leaders to make sure that we can manage it. It is a balancing act between ensuring that people are able to thrive in their livelihood as opposed to safety and health also,” she stressed.
Furthermore, she pointed out that the successful staging of the 2023 Panaad sa Negros Festival and the different festivals in cities and municipalities foster hope and optimism among Negrenses.
Now for those who do not want to miss the Pasalamat Festival highlights, the Pasalamat Festival Queen 2023 Pageant Night will be on Saturday, April 29. It will be followed by a fireworks display. The much-awaited Festival Street Dance and Float Parade will be on Sunday.*
