The Barangay Napo contingent from the town of Loon made history as the first overall winners of the Bangga sa Kuradang ug Subli sa Sandugo clinching the competition’s top spot on the 162^nd Bohol Day yesterday.

The group was awarded a trophy and P200,000 for the championship and P20,000 for topping the Kuradang Street Dance contest.

The contingent also bagged two minor awards receiving 5,000 for each as it was recognized as the Best in Kuradang Pair and the Most Colorful Group.

Doctor Cecilio Putong National High School was the competition’s first runner-up and Most Authentic Group receiving P150,000 and P5,000, respectively, for both awards.

The local government unit of Balilihan topped the Sandugo Re-enactment category which earned the contingent P20,000 while it bagged the second runner-up spot of the competition and was given P100,000.

In the minor awards segment, the Holy Name University was recognized as Best in Costume which earned the group P5,000.

The competition was judged by Felipe Mendoza de Leon, chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, NCCA deputy executive director Marichu Tellano, Shirley Halili-Cruz of the Halili-Cruz school of Ballet, Eric Zerrubo of the University of Santo Tomas Center for Conservation of Culture Property, and Maribel Legarda of the Philippine Educational Theater Association.

Organizers of the Sandugo Festival previously re-engineered the competition to make it more rooted in Boholano aesthetics in dance, music, design, and content.

The introduction of the kuradang theme was prompted by observations from culture and heritage enthusiasts noting that the competition has become similar to Cebu’s Sinulog festivities and has languished in terms of ingenuity.

Bangga sa Kuradang ug Subli sa Sandugo is among a number of activities under the month-long Sandugo Festival celebrated and witnessed by Boholanos from different parts of the country and tourists. (Rey Tutas)