The unifying effect of
the Pintados Kasadyaan Festival, showcase of Eastern Visayas culture
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
July
2, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The staging of the Pintados Kasadyaan Festival on June 29 which
showcased the unique Eastern Visayas culture drew the interest of
thousands of people both from the other parts of the country and from
other foreign countries.
This annual activity
which is a tribute to the Patron of Tacloban City and the province of
Leyte, had caused the crowd to fill up the streets along the parade
route as early as 12:00 noon.
The staging of the
Pintados Kasadyaan Festival entails the cooperation of both the
government and the private sector. As Mayor Roque Tiu, the founding
president of the Pintados Festival, it is impossible to hold the
Festival without the support of all the stakeholders.
The business sector
and the academe, the young people of the Region and the academe all
join hands in order to stage the yearly Festival.
Ten Pintados Tribes
and 17 merrymakers groups participated in the Pintados Festival while
there were six entries in this year’s Kasadyaan Festival.
The Pintados Festival
will not reach its 21st year if the Taclobanons did not merrily
welcomed the celebration of the Pintados Festival on June 29, 1987.
The Festival is a brainchild of a group of pro-active businessmen in
the city who saw the need to organize a big relevant event that would
set a joyful mood as a fitting homage to the Patron of Tacloban, Señor
Santo Niño.
Composed of then
Parish Priest now bishop of Naval, Msgr. Filomeno Bactol as chairman,
Atty. Roque A. Tiu as the President, OIC Mayor Butch Veloso as the
honorary chairman, Manager Shane Lim of Tacloban Coca Cola Plant,
Manager Rommel Gonzales of the Philippine Airlines, Manager Mon
Torralba of San Miguel Corporation, Mr. William Chan, Mrs. Evelina
Acevedo of the Katolinan Dance Company, among others, formed the
Pintados Foundation, Inc. This group made a thorough research with the
help of the experts in the culture and the arts, and finally came up
with the Festival that kindles appreciation for the Eastern Visayan
culture.
The Pintados Festival
showcases the ancient practice of body painting and shows how the
Visayan ancestors came to accept Christianity and develop great love
for Santo Niño.
After 21 years, the
Pintados Festival grew to be one of the landmark events in the
province of Leyte drawing Visayans from all over the world to come
home just to be part of the annual festivities.
It is now celebrated
jointly with the Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals, making the
celebration of the feast of the Santo Niño an event the people of
Tacloban and Leyte can truly be proud of.
The Kasadyaan Festival
was first staged in 1996 as project of the Eastern Visayas Regional
Tourism Council through the inspiring leadership of then Governor, now
Congresswoman of the First District of Leyte, Hon. Remedios L. Petilla.
This year’s winners of
the Kasadyaan Festival are the Buyogan Festival of Abuyog, Alikaraw
Festival of Hilongos and the Lingganay Festival of Alangalang, The
other entries to this year’s Kasadyaan Festival include Binaybay
Festival of Baybay, Tribung Paghidait Festival of Palo and Pasaka
Festival of Tanauan, all of the Province of Leyte.
But as one
participant said, it is not the winning that counts, it is the
privilege to be part of the people who unite themselves to pay homage
and tribute to Señor Santo Niño, the Patron of Tacloban City and the
Province of Leyte.
