This year’s Sandugo street dancing will not be the same as the usual as city streets as well as the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex will be jammed with balikbayans who came home for the “Tigum Bol-anong sa Tibuok Kalibutan” (TBTK).
The hundreds of homecomers, both from abroad and from the various provinces were afforded a red carpet welcome during the TBTK Welcome Night at the Bohol Tropics last Wednesday.
Neil Bonje, TBTK president and Dr, Rhine Pamaong, newly elected president of the Confederation of Boholanos in the United States and Canada (CONBUSAC)Â led balikbayans come home for the various reunions set during the monthlong Sandugo Festival.
Boholanos now based in the various provinces are also joining the celebration. The biggest delegation is from the Metro Manila area.
Pat Manlangit, president of the Boholano Association of Metro Manila, Inc. (BAMMI) arrived Thursday while records showed that the biggest delegation is composed of Andahanons now based in Metro Manila.
Anda Mayor Dodong Amper who used to be a Manila based businessman, before joining politics, told The Chronicle that the Andahanons in Metro Manila remain to have a very active group in touch with the development and progress of their town.
During the past two weeks, restaurants were fully booked with school and family reunions well attended because of the heavy influx of balikbayans, domestic and overseas.
This year’s episode of Sandugo street dancing include eight groups vying for the top awards, namely, Tagbilaran City, Anda, Ubay, Mabini, Baclayon, Catigbian, Bohol Island State University (BISU) and Camayaan High School of Loboc.
General Manager Lito Lapid of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) is the guest of honor of today’s Sandugo street dancing.
Carmen Gatal, street dancing chairperson said the madre gras kicks off at Plaza Rizal at 1 o’clock this afternoon, dancing all the way to the CPG Sports Complex where a jampacked crowd is expected to witness the event. From the PNB area, the street dancers will take entry to the complex’ back gate passing through Tamblot st.
Traffic at CPG Ave. and Tamblot st will be closed to traffic as early as 12 noontime today.
Today’s street dancing has attracted major media networks in the country who sent in their crew to cover the madre gras as well as other Sandugo activities, aside from visiting the scenic destinations in the island province. In town to cover the affair are ANC, ABS-CBN, Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, The Daily Tribune, Business World, Travel Magazine, People Asia together with Big Bag Marketing.
Pax Paloma of Air Asia told The Chronicle that aside from the media group, he also brought yesterday some 10 bloggers who will document the Sandugo Festival.
Upon arrival, the Manila media group was treated to Painitan Bol-anon while they got the chance last night to sample the foods at the International Fusion Nights at Plaza Rizal and lunch on board Rio Verde Floating Restaurant in Loay town. They will also be at Gerarda’s, the top rated resto in the city, Bee Farm in Dauis, Dong Juan and Bohol Tropics. The media group is billeted at B Resort in Panglao.
Gov. Edgar Chatto and City Mayor Baba Yap will be separately interviewed tomorrow.
The recently concluded free heart surgery of the Philippine Gift of Life at Borja Hospital caught the attention of the Manila media who expressed admiration for such laudable project for the indigent heart patients. Fancy Baluyot, CEO and Pres of Gift of Life together with Dr. Melinda Borja of Borja Hospital, Dr. Kazan Baluyot and Peter Dejaresco, Sandugo publicity chair, hosted a press conference yesterday with the Manila media group. Tomorrow, they will visit for the first time the new destination, Isola de Francesco (St. Padre Pio) islet, a well maintained sand bar off Panglao.
The group witnessed last night the Bohol Sandugo Song Festival at the Bohol Cultural Center. They will also cover the Awards Night of the The Outstanding Boholanos Around the World (TOBAW) at the Bohol Tropics tomorrow evening. To cap their day is the presentation of El Gamma Penumbra, Asia’s Got Talent champion, at the Bohol Wisdom School tomorrow evening.