• ANDREW ALTAREJOS
The 30th edition of the Panaad sa Negros Festival kicked off in grand fashion on April 13 at the Panaad Park and Stadium, drawing thousands of Negrenses and visitors from across the region.
The week-long celebration, dubbed the “Mother of All Festivals in Negros Occidental,” opened with a vibrant ceremony that set the stage for days of cultural pride, colorful performances, and friendly competition among the province’s cities and municipalities.
The undisputed highlight of the opening day was the much-anticipated Best of Festival Dances competition, a showcase of the rich heritage, folklore, and artistic brilliance of Negros Occidental. This year’s contest featured six cities and 13 municipal contingents. In a historic first for the festival, organizers decided to hold the municipal category separately from the city category, with the municipal competitions taking place on the second day.
The City of Silay, known as the “Paris of Negros” for its ancestral houses and cultural treasures, delivered a breathtaking performance that earned them the grand champion title in the city category. Their winning entry was the Kansilay Festival, a dance-drama that has become synonymous with Silay’s identity.
Silay’s presentation was a mesmerizing blend of legend and artistry, recounting the story of Kansilay—a tale of bravery, love, and transformation rooted deeply in local folklore.
The performance featured dynamic and synchronized choreography, intricately handcrafted costumes made from indigenous materials, and a powerful narrative arc that held the audience spellbound. Dancers portrayed the mythical heroine who sacrificed herself for her people, eventually transforming into the Silay tree (the kansilay), a symbol of resilience and life.
Last year’s runner-up, Silay made a significant leap to the top spot this year, besting strong contingents from the cities of San Carlos, Bago, Kabankalan, Cadiz, and Talisay.
In the municipal category, the Tigkalalag Festival of the Municipality of Isabela made a triumphant comeback, emerging as grand champion after several years of absence from the competition. The victory was especially sweet for Isabela, which had not won the top prize in a long time following a hiatus from joining the annual dance showdown.
The Tigkalalag Festival, which celebrates the unique Halloween-inspired traditions of Isabela, offered a hauntingly beautiful performance that blended themes of remembrance, community, and the cycle of life.
Isabela bested twelve other municipalities, including strong contenders like La Castellana, Murcia, Ilog, and EB Magalona.
Both Silay City and Isabela each took home P120,000 cash prize as grand champion winners.
Other winners in the city category were PintaFlores of San Carlos as first runner-up with a P100,000 cash prize. It also secured the Best Introduction Video award with an additional P20,000 prize. Talisay City’s Minulu-an Festival, Kabankalan City’s Sinulog sa Kabankalan, and Cadiz City’s Dinagsa Festival placed 2nd, 3rd, and 4th runners-up, respectively.
In the municipal category, Bailes de Luces of the Municipality of La Castellana was first runner-up and received P100,000 cash prize, and also bagged the Best Introduction Video award with an additional P20,000 cash prize. Murcia’s Tinabu-ay Festival, Ilog’s Kisi-Kisi Festival, and EB Magalona’s Ugyonan Festival placed 2nd, 3rd, and 4th runners-up respectively.
The awarding of all the winners in the Best of Festival Dances competition will be held during the closing ceremony on April 19.*
