By Mike Crismundo
SURIGAO CITY – All is set for the 2018 “Bonok-Bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival”, a big ethnic dancing event of the year in this fast rising northeastern tip city of Surigao.
A contingent from Surigao City led by its queen presents an ethnic dance of thanksgiving during the Bonok-Bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival which also coincided with the feast of San Nicolas de Tolentino in Surigao City, September 10, 2017. The 33rd Bonok-Bonok Festival is part of the Surigao City fiesta with this year’s theme ‘Sadjaw para sa Kalinaw’ (Dance for Peace). (Mike U. Crismundo/ MANILA BULLETIN)
“All systems go” was the joint declaration on Wednesday of Surigao City Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas and City Tourism Officer and event supervising operation officer Roselyn Armida B. Merlin.
Top national government officials are invited to grace the big event next month, including Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat and Presidential Assistant Secretary Bong Go.
“Bonok-Bonok” Festival is a colorful festival displaying the Surigaonon's Tribal Culture through road moving. It is a day-long celebration denoting the Surigao City's yearly party festivity which is celebrated on Sept. 9.
The day-long celebration takes place around the Provincial Sports Complex which is an extraordinary place to see the wide range of artists perform. This profoundly conventional occasion is a way of approaching the divine existence for wellbeing and abundant harvests.
“Bonok-Bonok” is an ethnic Mamanua (tribe) dance.
Held out of appreciation for the city's benefactor, San Nicolas de Tolentino, this prominent Mardi Gras festivity highlights road parties and customary ethnic moves.
At this early, 18 groups from the different areas of the city, province and Caraga region, and some outside the region have registered to participate the “Bonok-Bonok” street dancing competition.
The city government through the City Tourism Office and other benefactors of the big event had prepared more than P3.2 million in total cash prizes for the winners of the “Bono-Bonok” street dancing and final encounter among the participating groups at the Provincial Sports Complex here, also on the same day of Sept. 9, 2018.
Several other programs are prepared by the city government through the City Tourism Office, which is also closely and fully supported by all the urban and rural barangays of the city and line agencies of the government.
The officials of the provincial government of Surigao del Norte led by Gov. Sol F. Matugas, Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Jose F. Matugas ll and Department of Tourism (DOT) in Caraga region personally led by Regional Director Ma. Ana T. Nuguid are also fully supporting “Bonok-Bonok” Festival where tourists both foreign and domestic are also frequently witnessing this ethnic event.
“Yes, again our city is ready and everything is set,” declared further Mayor Matugas to The Manila Bulletin on Wednesday.