Thursday, January 10, 2008

Kadaugan Sa Mactan

The "Kadaugan," victory in Cebuano, is a tribute to the outstanding courage and unity of the people of Mactan who fought and successfully resisted Spanish attempt to colonize the island almost five centuries ago.

The annual celebration started in 1979, when then Customs Collector and concurrent Regional Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development David "Boy" Odilao first spearheaded a live reenactment of Lapu-Lapu's victory at the Battle of Mactan at the Mactan Shrine, also the venue of today’s Kadaugan festivities.

At that time, the celebration known as Bahug-Bahug sa Mactan, was a one-day event only. Since the 1980s, however, the event has been known as Kadaugan sa Mactan, and instead of only one day, the festivities run a full week.

The celebration features a daily food festival, drum and bugle corps competitions, street dancing parade, nightly live band shows, wood carving contest, cross channel swimming competitions and baroto (banca) race, painting exhibits, oratorical contests, beauty pageants, fireworks display, mini agri-fair, jobs fair and mobile pass-porting (through the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the National Statistics Office).

This year, the Battle of Mactan reenactment was participated in by actors Alfred Vargas as Lapu-Lapu, and Ramon Christopher as Magellan.

Joining the President during the ceremonies were Portuguese Ambassador to the Philippines Jao Cayetano da Silva, Cebu Representative Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza, his wife Mactan Barangay Chairman Paz Radaza, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, and Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano

Bangus Festival

YESTERDAY is but an aim unchangeable and gone. Tomorrow is a vision and still not even born. But today is ours to live, its treasures now to use.

The story of the Bangus Festival over the last two years documents significant events of the transcendence, its transformation and its emergence to eminence.

In the beginning it was just an idea, an afterthought from a visionary whose business instinct and foresight saw in the annual celebration and thanksgiving festival of the Pistay Dayat, a social and economic potentials worthy of being a world attraction.

For many years past, tourists and visitors from all over have been drawn to Bonuan during the celebration of Pistay Dayat because of our fine beaches particularly in Tondaligan Park.

Mayor Benjamin S. Lim, who, continuously explore any possibilities saw a bid to use Pistay Dayat celebration not just a time for revelry but as a vehicle to focus on the local bangus industry and to promote the city as the Bangus Capital of the World.

Indeed, here was an opportunity that leaders in the past overlooked.

What started off as a celebration and thanksgiving festival of Pistay Dayat has evolved into a nine-day socio-economic program of activities that turned out as one of the marketing wonders of the Lim administration.

Buoyed by the optimism of his naturally ebullient spirit, Mayor Benjie gathered together a group of his aides and formulated a blueprint of action - a master plan to develop to its full potential the bangus industry in the city.

Of course, this requires a lot of help and he was fortunate that all the help he needs was offered to the city. With the support and cooperation of the city residents, the civic and religious groups, barangay council, educational units and most remarkably, the participation of the businessmen and the professional groups, and relying on instinct and trusting his team, the city mayor launched the Bangus Festival in 2002.

From there, the Bangus Festival worked its way from year one to attain the outstanding level of distinction and honor to blossom into what it is today. That coveted Guiness Book of world Record for the Longest Barbecue established during "Kalutan ed Dagupan" in the Second Annual Bangus Festival last May 2003 has given inspiration to DagupeƱos and visitors knowing that one of our main activities is worthy of being a world record.

The Bangus Festival as envisioned by Mayor Lim has more than achieved its goals and objectives. Today, it's an institution with global resonance.

In the process, this will earn Dagupan City a more conspicuous place in the world's tourism and enhance Dagupan's allure to local and international tourists and investors.

Bangus Festival will remain as a tribute to the courage and vision of Mayor Benjamin S. Lim that will he preserved as a part of history of our city for this and succeeding generations. Ernie Martinez.