Polibiz
'Saludan,' a festival to watch
The Tigbaueños celebrated their second 'Saludan' Festival with a big bang at the town's covered gym, Friday, October 27, 2006.
No less than Cong. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, the son of our hero, the late Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr., was the guest of honor accompanied by Gov. Niel D. Tupas, Sr.
Also present were 2nd District Congresswoman Janette Garin, Board Member Macario Napulan, Miagao Mayor Gerardo "Gerry" Flores and Igbaras Mayor Jaime "James" Esmeralda.
There were eight contesting tribes who participated mostly composed of elementary and secondary students from different schools in Tigbauan, the same number who joined last year.
Mayor Myrna Torres should be commended for her efforts in keeping the 'Saludan' Festival an annual event amidst strong oppositions from some self-proclaimed "messiahs" of their town.
Like other towns in Iloilo 'Saludan' was organized in accordance with the country's eco-tourism program of the government mainly to entice not only our local and national tourists, but also visiting foreigners to get a peek of our countryside.
The festival is one way of promoting the town's local products.
'Saludan' is an Ilonggo term in vernacular originated from the word "salud" which literally means the act of gathering or accumulating a thing for its interest or value. Like the fishermen using their fishnet for their catch or the farmers using their basket for their milled rice or any other agricultural products after the harvest. In other words, it's the bounty or grace that they received from God out of their hard work.
Folks living along the coastline and those from hinterland intertwined each other hence in harmony for their mutual existence.
'Saludan' depicts the Tigbaueños cultural heritage in the past, their fight for freedom from foreign invaders starting from pre-Spanish era, Japanese occupation up to the American regime.
Each tribe with their colorful costumes executes its own style of choreography to interpret suffering caused by tyranny or the joy of emotions on their way to freedom.
Through 'Saludan' festival the Tigbaueños should be proud of having identity of their own distinct from the rest.
No less than their own congresswoman Janette Garin, has encouraged the Tigbaueños to maintain 'Saludan' as an annual event just like the rest of the towns in Iloilo having their own cultural heritage.
Tigbaueños living in other parts of the globe have more reasons to go back to their birth of origin for the annual 'Saludan' celebration to reminisce the past; spend their precious time reuniting with their relatives and town mates.
To prove their love and patriotism, Circulo de Tigbaueños International (California and Canada ) came into existence primarily to promote and help their town on the road to progress. Composed mostly of senior citizens, already on their twilight years, some made pledges to give additional amount for the prizes as incentives for the winning tribes on condition to have their identities kept from the public,
Meanwhile, a very young lad Ramon T. Leonardia III, a radiologic technologist by profession, President of Circulo de Tigbaueños de Manila is in-charged of coordinating his town mates scattered around Metro Manila for any significant events in their town on which attendance is urgently encouraged.
The organization has made a pledge to financially support 'Saludan' in the near future and to come up livelihood programs beneficial to the Tigbaueños particularly the less privileged.
More so, the recent success of 'Saludan' has now officially been considered through a resolution by the Sangguiniang Bayan an annual event every last Friday of October.
With the favorable response from the Tigabueños, 'Saludan' is the next town festival worth watching and worth keeping for good.
Onward 'Tigbaueños... go, go GO!!!
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