The Cebu Provincial Government allocated P3 million as financial assistance to the participating barangay contingents of Mandaue City’s Panagtagbo Festival.
Governor Gwen Garcia made this announcement before Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and other officials during the festival showdown at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex on Saturday evening, May 6.
“Makalipay kaayo kining nakita nato. Revival of culture, the revival of appreciation for our heritage. And now pride of place, pride in the City of Mandaue by our children and the youth,” Gov. Garcia said in her speech.
Panagtagbo Festival featured eight clustered contingents from the city’s 27 barangays, composed of at least a hundred performers each.
The festival is a dance reenactment of the joyous meeting among members of the Holy Family: Child Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
The meeting is a tradition during the Sinulog, where the miraculous image of the Sto. Niño visits the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue, accompanied by the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu City.
The festival showcase made a grand comeback after a three-year hiatus because of the pandemic, and thousands of Mandauehanons witnessed the event with joy and excitement.
Also present during the event were Congresswoman Emmarie Ouano-Dizon, Board Members Glenn Soco and Jonkie Ouano, and Mandaue City’s local officials. | Babie Jane Revecoy