GUIMARAS – This province’s Manggahan Festival placed third in the street dance competition of Aliwan Fiesta 2023 at the CCP Complex in Pasay City, Metro Manila on Saturday.
Representing the Manggahan Festival, Hubon Balsahan of the Municipality of Sibunag also bagged the Best in Costume award.
The hubon took home P300,000 in cash prize.
During the Manggahan Cultural Competition held in May, Hubon Balsahan bested four other competing hubons from the four municipalities of the province.
The group’s special awards were Best in Costume and Props, Best in Choreography, and Best in Performance.
This Aliwan Fiesta 2023, Hubon Balsahan of Manggahan Festival showcased a celebration of communal discernment and the prolific harvest of resources from milkfish, dragon fruits, cashew nuts, and more brought by the sweetest mangoes of Guimaras.
Liberty N. Ferrer, provincial tourism officer of Guimaras, said they have 380 warriors, including support staff and representatives from the local government unit of Sibunag.
Ferrer added that the Manggahan Festival has been in the Top 3 of the Aliwan Fiesta for the four years it has participated.
Meanwhile, Iloilo City’s Dinagyang Festival, represented by Tribu Parianon, bagged the street dance competition’s grand champion. The tribu received a P1.5 million cash prize.
The Sinulog Festival of Cebu City, represented by Tribu Lumad Basakanon, received P750,000 as the second runner-up.
Halamanan Festival of Guiguinto, Bulacan placed fourth and received P150,000, and Kadalag-An Festival of Victorias City, Negros Occidental represented by Victorias City Sidlak, Kadalag-an Dancers, placed fifth and received P100,000.
Aliwan Fiesta, dubbed the nation’s ‘grandest’ festival, returned after a three-year hiatus to gather different cultural festivals of the Philippines for a more spectacular celebration to showcase Filipinos’ love for grandiose and colorful merrymaking./PN
