Legarda to crown Salakayan Fest Queen
Legarda
Miag-ao, Iloilo - Festival Queen Michelle Gaton Mercado will be crowned in a grandiose coronation ceremony with no less than former Senator Loren Legarda as the guest and coronation speaker at the Municipal Plaza here. The coronation will be held at 9 o'clock in the evening on February 12th.
Mayor Gerardo "Gerry" Flores said Legarda was picked as speaker as the former senator is among the top endorsers of the town's hablon and patadyong fabrics.
Included in the list of guests are Heritage Festival Executive Director and Member of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Committee on Festival Armita Rufino.
The Coronation Night is the culminating event of the week-long much-awaited feast. The event is expected to draw countless spectators to witness the grand occasion.
To recall, the week-long activity kicked-off last February 4th bannering the theme "Pagtalupangod sang Miagaowanon nga Kaisog sa Kasaysayna Lokal kag Komunidad Global."
The highlight of the celebration is the Salakayan presentation-a street dance-drama depicting the historic attack or "salakay" of the Moro pirates. The historic attack or "salakay" gave the festivity its title "Salakayan."
The celebration was officially opened on February 6th with a grand opening salvo participated in by local officials and employees, schools, civic and business organizations among others.
Other activities lined up for the festival include various sports competition (badminton, chess, table tennis, beach volley and beach football), alumni reunions, nightly socials, cultural presentations, exhibits and "higante" show among others. On top of every event is the agro-trade fair and food festival every night.
On February 10th (Friday), the Program Committee has given emphasis to the Salakayan re-enactment and fluvial parade which will be held at 8:30 in the morning after the 7:00 o'clock mass at the poblacion's shoreline.
The re-enactment will be performed by the students from the Southern Iloilo Polytechnic College-Western Visayas College of Science and Technology-Miagao Campus. It will depict the town's successful combat against frequent attacks by vinta-riding pirates.
On February 11th (Saturday), the activities include the tribe and higante competition, mardigras and the announcement of winners.
This year, five competing tribes vie for the Salakayan tribes competition trophy. These are tribus 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 and St. Louise de Marillac School of Miagao.
For eight years now, the festival established wider popularity and importance, making the yearly observance of the event a much-awaited occasion.
Miagao is also the home of 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 B. Bandorio)