Panaad sa Negros 2009 Best of Festival Winners Announced
Posted by on April 21, 2009
Bailes de luces, Kalag-kalag and Pintaflores Festivals declared winners
Not even rain could stop the festival dancers from performing during the Best of Festival Competition held last Saturday April 18 during the opening ceremonies of the Panaad sa Negros 2009 in Bacolod City.
Pasaway Festival of Sipalay
The grand event was attended by a huge 15,000 crowd, cheering for their respective town and city’s festivals.
There were 23 competiting festivals and one guest performer. The Masskara Festival of Bacolod City performed only as a non-competing contingent.
Halfway during the festival performances, rain started to pour. But this did not dampen the spirit of the dancers. For some, it was even seen as a challenge to perform better despite the slippery stage.
After 5 hours of dancing, winners were finally announced.
The town of La Castellana’s Bailes de Luces Festival (or the Dances of Lights) has emerged as this year’s Best Negrense Festival. A good interplay of lights coupled with very fluid executions earned them the judges’ nod.
La Castellana’s Bailes de Luces Festival
First runner up was the Kalag-kalag Festival of Isabela. This Festival is celebrated during the All Soul’s Day to remember the departed. The dance routine depicts dead people, and some skeletons dancing to the drumbeats.
Kalag Kalag Festival of Isabela
2nd Runner up was the multi-awarded Pintaflores Festival of San Carlos City. The storyline of their presentation revolves around a young kid who died but with the miracle attributed to San Carlos Borromeo, the City’s patron saint, the kid was brought back to life. From there, the hypnotic dances of the flowers ensued.
Third runner up was the Salapan Festival from the southern coastal town of Pulupandan. Salapan is a festival giving tribute to the way how the locals catch fishes, which is through a “Pang Salap” of by using fish nets. The dance routine featured the mundane task of catching fishes and drying them as their primary means of livelihood.
Pulupandan’s Salapan Festival
nice man ang mga kids of pulupandan. gahataw man.i just wished pintaflores or the kalag-kalag won. nothing against la castellana but i think their performances are better.
i really appreciate the performance of young kids from pintaflores contingent.They deserve to be the best performers of the negrense’s festival…