The seven-year hiatus of the Sikoy-Sikoy Festival of the southern town of San Fernando has come to an end, as six clustered barangays battled it out at the San Fernando Central School grounds on Monday evening, May 13.
Governor Gwen Garcia graced the resurgent ritual showdown and made sure that it would be memorable after pledging a total of P5.5 million in Capitol aid to help defray expenses.
The LGU, headed by Mayor Mytha Ann Canoy, has been allocated P4 million. It shall be spent for the town sociocultural programs; while each of the six contingents shall get P250 thousand in subsidy from the Capitol.
Clad in their colorful Sikoy-Sikoy costumes, the contingents showcased their dancing prowess, creativity, and skill as they vied for Sikoy-Sikoy Festival’s top prize.
The performances were nothing short of extraordinary as they highlighted the pride and the local talents of San Fernando who came together, reconnected with their roots, and celebrated their unique festival and culture.
Governor Gwen, in her speech, could not help but praise the efforts put forth by everyone involved, recognizing some really great concepts and ideas.
“Tonight, you made me proud. Tonight, you made me proud to be a Cebuano,” the governor said in her speech.
Celebrated each May, Sikoy-Sikoy Festival merges cultural and religious traditions. It serves as a dual tribute: one honoring the town’s fisherfolk and their livelihood, and an expression of devotion to their patron saint, San Isidro Labrador.
The festival’s name originates from the local term “panikoy,” which describes the specific fishing method employed by San Fernando’s fishermen — throwing nets amidst rough waves. This technique yields a bounty of various fish species, most commonly laniw, higsiw, limbuwad, and barungoy (flying fish), best prepared as kinilaw and can be cooked as inun-unan, tinuwa and sinugba.
Mayor Val Chiong of City of Naga; Mayor Patrick Barcenas of Carcar City; and Mayor Lionel Bacaltos of Sibonga also joined the festivities. | MARM