BACOLOD City – Okoy-Okoy Festival of Barangay Pahanocoy was declared champion in the street dance competition of this year’s 1st Halandumon Festival.
It got the crown by besting 17 other participating villages that joined the competition held on Sunday.
Okoy-Okoy Festival also got several special awards, such as Best in Costume, Best in Concept, Best in Choreography, and Best Production Design.
Barangay 17’s Dinaguso Festival came in second place.
Sambod Festival of Barangay Banago, meanwhile, landed in third.
The number of participants increased by two from the initial 15 and the day of the festival was also moved earlier to June 16, from the initially announced June 17.
The competing groups include barangays 2, 3, 14, 17, 27, 32, 35, 38, 41, Tangub, Pahanocoy, Villamonte, Estefania, Banago, Vista Alegre, Alangilan, and Mansilingan.
The festival is part of the nine-day “Mga Adlaw Sang Paghanduraw” – the city’s yearly commemoration of history, art and culture from June 12 to 20 as provided in City Ordinance 616.
This year’s events was highlighted by the 81st Charter Day to be commemorated for the first time on June 18 under Republic Act 11146 approved by President Rodrigo Duterte on Nov. 9, 2018.
Halandumon is a Hiligaynon word, which means memorable or worthy to be remembered.
Councilor Em Ang, chair of city council’s committee on tourism, said the Halandumon festivity was patterned after the province’s Panaad sa Negros Festival in bringing together the city’s barangays./PN
