Home | To bottom

All set for Intayon Cabugao Festival

CABUGAO, Ilocos Sur (Apr. 8) — Cabugao town, touted as “The Boracay of the North” because of its white sand beaches, beams with pride as it celebrates its yearly “Intayon Cabugao” festival after Holy Week.

“Everything is already prepared,” Cabugao mayor Dioceasar S. Suero said as he vows the festival, featuring the “Sakada Centennial Celebration” and the “Global Homecoming Reunion of Cabugenians”, will surely captivate every Cabugeño, local and foreign tourists alike.

Suero added that about 1,500 balikbayans, all natives of Cabugao, already confirmed their attendance in the global reunion and the festival. Ten groups of balikbayans will join the global reunion. These come from Asia, Europe, Middle East, Canada and the U.S.

Already on its 5th year, the festival promises bigger events than those of last year. ”This year’s festival is different because it took us one year to prepare including the Sakada Centennial Celebration and the Global Reunion of Cabugenians,” Suero said. The festival is usually celebrated in five days, but this year’s festival will be held for ten days from April 18-­ 27, Suero added.

A street dancing festival with a theme: “Sala Sakada sa Kalsada” will feature the historic contribution of Cabugao town to the “Sakada” centennial celebration between Hawaii and the Philippines.

Cabugao prides itself with the historic Salomague Port where some 6,000 Ilocanos, the last batch of Filipino migrants left in 1946 aboard SS Maunawili to work in Hawaii’s sugarcane plantation.

In that same year, the SS Marine Falcon docked at the port to ferry some 710 women and 1,425 children relatives of the “sakadas” to Hawaii.

Part of the rites is a sisterhood signing to forge a stronger partnership between Cabugao and Maui County in Hawaii with Cabugao Mayor Suero and Maui mayor Allan Arakawa. A wreath-laying of Sakada Monument at Salomague Port to mark the area’s history will also be held. 

Other festivities include: Mrs. Sakada 2006; a basketball exhibition featuring Cabugao-native professional basketball star Sonny Cabatu; the first Mayor’s Cup Invitational Amateur Boxing in Ilocos Sur; the 12-kilometer Sakada run; Mountain Bike Track Competition; and other indigenous sports like kite-flying.

“Another Iloco pride, the Zarsuela Ilokana and the CIPAG cultural shows featuring the “Sakada” will bring back the rich heritage of the Ilocano culture,” Suero said.

Reliving the past towards the future

“The Global reunion of Cabugenians launched in Los Angeles, California in 1995 will certainly draw in a lot of fun and excitement as every Ilocano will go back to his/her roots,” Suero explained.

To promote the town’s business potentials, an investment forum will be held on April 23 to be attended by local residents, government and private business companies, NGOs and balikbayans.

“Our major objectives on this festival’s investment forum are to encourage our balikbayans to invest in our town and to uplift the life of the farmers by way of strengthening awareness on proven technologies to improve our products,” the mayor said.

Cabugao, a first class municipality, is the second center of the first district of Ilocos Sur. # Ace Alegre for NORDIS

Post your comments, reactions to this article

Home | Back to top