Katigbawan: carrier
for Catigbian’s ‘good news’
By: Rey Chiu / PIA
June 15, 2008
CATIGBIAN’S promotion as Bohol’s progress hub gets a new carrier, a Katigbawan
Festival saddled, to make the ride to development smooth.
Still pitching for more as Catigbian slowly carves a name as one of Bohol’s
fastest emerging giants, local leaders agree that the town civil festival has
done what the town could do in months.
And as Catigbian strings the welcome banners this June 13-17, local officials
led by Mayor Roberto Salinas bared that this year’s Katigbawan would be adopting
the festival as “Tinubdan sa Catigbianong Kahiusahan ug Kaugmaran” as a tribute
to the event and the people.
All through the years, Katigbawan has manifested itself as a very potent tool
for our telling the whole world that there is something good happening in
Catigbian, Salinas said.
Katigbawan, coined after Katigbi, Tigbaw and Kabawan is a festival of culture
and tradition conceived by the town leadership as tool for promotions in
tourism, ecology, agriculture, folk beliefs and natural environment.
It has also been referred to progress, a name the town leaders suggest for
adoption by local residents.
Katigbawan is now harnessed to showcase the whole image of a struggling town and
slowly winning its battles, Salinas, a retired navy captain revealed.
This year’s Katigbawan brings in the best of Catigbian: agricultural products at
the agri-fair, Katigbi crafts at the crafts fair, best athletes in boxing,
basketball, and traditional games, best fighting cocks in the traditional
Carambola derby, best livestock and carabaos in the recently popularized Carabao
pageant, best dancers in the street dancing competitions, best amateur singers
in the musical competitions and the best ladies in the search for Miss
Katigbawan 2008.
The festival officially starts June 13 with the thanksgiving mass at the
Immaculate Conception Church at 8:00 followed by a parade from the church to the
Catigbian Livestock and Auction Center, festival organizers said.
At the CLAC, the opening of the Agri fair and the Onte-Town-One Product (OTOP)
fair officially starts with the ribbon cutting ceremonies in the presence of
town and Department of Trade and Industry officials.
Expected to be displayed are Katigbi crafts. Barangay delegations are
accordingly putting up displays for an inter-barangay contest, said Dr. Ronald
Pumatong, event coordinator.
A volleyball game is also an event filler at the CLAC compound while the people
are awaiting for the formal ceremonies.
Boxing hostilities take the center arena at the CLAC at 1:00 PM and extends
until the next activity set at 5:00 with the Miss Katigbawan Talent Show to
unfold at the Catigbian Business Center.
Music and entertainment extends until about 9:00 when the inter-barangay amateur
singing competition picks up at the same venue.
June 16 is Katigbawan’s Livestock Day at the CLAC and Provincial veterinarian
authorities would be dispensing technical help along with local livestock
growers.
At the same time, the Municipal Demo Farm opens its gates for technical advice
and seedling dispersal to interested residents and guests.
Simultaneously, at 9:00, the famous Karambola unleashes gaffs at the town
cockpit arena.
Activity shifts to the CLAC at 1:00 where the best decorated and made-up
carabaos take the ramp in Bohol’s Carabao pageant.
Laughter is sure to spill with the traditional Hog Catching also at the CLAC
after the Carabao Pageant.
At 3:00, another activity takes the courts of Catigbian Community Stage where an
exhibition game tips off with the local law enforcers tackling the local members
of the Association of Barangay Councils.
At 7:00, the night curtains open for the Miss Katigbawan pageant night
presentation at the CBAC.
The following day, June 17 Tuesday, opens with the blood letting and blood sugar
determination with the local medical professionals and volunteers at the CBAC.
At the same time, traditional games are set to unroll at the sports oval. Throbs
of the drums and the tempo of dancing feet gather everyone to the Catigbian
Sports Oval at 1:00 PM for the annual festival street dancing competitions.
The festival’s closing ceremonies and awarding of winners is set Tuesday at 5:00
at the oval.
Revelers are also treated to a grand fireworks display at the oval and later, a
dinner for all and dance party at the CBAC, organizers reveal.
Over all these developments, Mayor Salinas bared, “it is not just the local
government showing the world the good news.”
“It is also the people who started to pick up our new identity: that Catigbian
can indeed be the green haven for peace and development,” he continued.
For the achievement, he also cited the town’s program managers whom he calls as
the “Catigbian Performance Team” who strived to bring development and translate
all the perceived stumbling blocks into significant stepping-stones of
opportunities.”
Moreover, he also added the achievements as fruits of participatory planning,
the relentless efforts and the sleepless nights that paved the way for what we
have achieved now.
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