Mindanaotoday.com | CDO launches ‘bigger” Higalaay Festival
By: Shaun Alejandrae Uy | PIA-10
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Standing out for its strong emphasis on friendship and unity, its month-long celebration, and the diverse range of events that highlight the city’s culture, heritage, and religious devotion, a grander Higalaay Festival was launched on August 1, 2023, at the Cagayan de Oro City Boulevard.
“The life of St. Augustine is an example of change and development. Let’s celebrate this festival full of love, cooperation, sharing, and friendship],” Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando Uy said.
The festival features 19 events this year, including a fluvial and religious procession in honor of the feast of St. Augustine on the 28th.
“Because businesses are doing well, this year we have a bigger budget, through the support of Mayor Rolando Uy. Gidakoan gyud niya ang budget this year for the exact reason nga dapat ato gyung pabibohon ang atong fiesta activities because we have bigger prizes this year [He augmented the budget for this year to have grander fiesta activities and bigger cash prizes this year],” said Cagayan de Oro City Councilor Jay Roa Pascual, vice-chair, Higalaay Festival 2023.
The councilor added that the city government will bring the Higalaay Festival closer to the people, citing that aside from the 19 core festival events, there are also 49 parallel activities, including zumba, disco, cosplay, sports, and more, spread throughout the whole month of August.
City Tourism Officer Rico Libre, who is also the co-vice chair of the Cagayan de Oro City Higalaay Festival, said the festival is aligned with the current administration’s “CDO RISE” platform: Regional Leadership: Metropolization, Accessibility and Connectivity; Institutional Development and Participatory Governance; Safety, Security and Human Development; and Economic Recovery.
“Our activities are inviting tourists, and we have plenty of new activities karong tuiga [this year]. We are expecting visitors to come over to Cagayan de Oro,” Libre said.
During the launch, a total of 367 security personnel from the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO), the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Department (CDRRMD), the Coast Guard, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Oro Task Force, barangay tanods, and the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) were deployed to ensure safety throughout the activity.
As the city transitioned to the new normal, Pasacual said last year’s celebration was very challenging at the height of the pandemic.
This year, there are fewer COVID threats. Thus, this year’s Higalaay includes “Suroy Sa Ta!” a heritage walking tour from August 7 to 11. This features the city’s heritage sites, which start at the City Museum and end at Plaza Divisoria.
The festival will also feature an agro-fair, trade fairs at the malls, a rhythmic field demonstration competition, a civic military parade, a fashion summit, and a prelude to the Kumbira food festival, among others.
The city will also host the CDO National Horse Show and Competition and the Premiere Volleyball League (PVL) on Tour on August 19 at the Sen. Aquilino Pimentel International Convention Center in Barangay Indahag.
The International Dragon Boat Competition on August 19–20 will feature a 2,000-meter race dubbed “The King of Cagayan River.”
As Higalaay 2023 approaches the final week, the Cagayan de Oro Fiesta sa Barrio is slated for the 23rd at the Sports Center. This sets a nostalgic mood as the event will feature “katutubong laro” (traditional games) that Filipinos play and the traditional way of celebrating town fiestas.
Higalaay’s mainstay core events include Miss Cagayan de Oro on the 26th and the Street Dancing Competition on the 27th, which will feature nine steps or choreography in honor of CDO’s patron Saint Augustine, the city’s colorful past, and Higaonon heritage.
To cap off the Higalaay Festival, there is a religious procession in honor of Saint Augustine around the city to and from the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral and a fluvial procession at the Cagayan River, spanning from Barangay Puntod to Duaw Park near the cathedral on the early morning of the 28th. (SAYU | PIA-10)
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