Miagao celebrates 291st Foundation anniversary and Salakayan 2007
MIAGAO, Iloilo--The Municipality of Miagao is celebrating its 291st Municipal Foundation Anniversary and Salakayan Festival this week.
The week-long tourism-oriented and crowd drawing activity was officially opened last February 4th with no less than Mayor Gerardo N. Flores leading the way to ensure the success of the celebration. This year's event bannered the theme: "Pagtukib sang Miagaowanon nga kaiusog sa pinanid sang kasaysayan kag kultura sa kaumhan".
In his message, Flores welcomed the foreign and domestic tourists who may drop by and discover that Miagao is more than what it has been known for--the Miagao Church .
"I hope that you will find our celebration enjoyable and memorable. Also, I hope that you will see that our once fishing-farming-and-weaving town has already taken several leaps to progress. Let us not cease to toil for progress, for ourselves, for the community, and for the generations that will come after us," the mayor concluded.
Immediately after the start of the opening salvo, the town plaza has been the busiest place in the municipality as it becomes the venue of all activities that helped spice up the celebration that included sports competition, alumni reunions, nightly socials, cultural presentations, higante parade, Salakayan Re-enactment, tribe contest and merry making. On top of every event was the agro-trade fair and food festival.
A three-day surgical mission is also being conducted at Rep. Pedro G. Trono Memorial Hospital in Guimbal. The operations for eyes, ears, nose and throat are conducted by top rank eye surgeons from Canada . It will commence on Wednesday (February 7th).
Meanwhile, the Salakyan re-enactment will be held on February 9th at 7:00am after the 6:00am holy mass at the poblacion's shoreline. The re-enactment will be performed by Tribu Daplong from Southern Iloilo Polytechnic College-WVCST Miagao Campus. It will depict the town's successful combat against frequent attacks by vinta-riding pirates.
On Saturday, the series of activities will begin with the tribes competition participated in by six competing tribes and mardigras. These are Kabugwason of Miagao High School , Bantalaan of San Rafael National High School , Tabun-ak of Palaca-Damilisan National High School , Salagyawan of Alejandro Firmeza Memorial National High School , Kirayanon of Kirayan National High School andof St. Louise de Marillac School of Miagao
On Sunday, a balikbayan from Long Beach , California --Jennifer Anne Herrero Sarreal will be crowned as this year's Queen of Miagao on Sunday.
Miagao is home to the baroque-Romanesque style Miagao Church . Built in the 17th century, the church was included in the list of historical landmarks of the Philippine Historical Commission and was in the World Heritage List by UNESCO on December 11, 2003.
(Adora Bandorio-Mande)