CEBU CITY – It is all systems go for the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival Sunday, Aug. 28, at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).
Choreographers are among those who keenly awaited the return of the festival as their livelihood was greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The culture and arts industry especially the choreographers were really affected by the pandemic. We really had nothing, we were so down in the past years because of the pandemic,” said Jeffrey Tabucanal, choreographer of the Lalin Festival of Asturias, Cebu.
At least 50 local government units (LGUs) from Cebu province will join Pasigarbo, which is dubbed as “Festival of Festivals” as the competing LGUs will showcase their respective festivals.
Participating contingents have started arriving at CCSC where they hold their practices for Sunday’s showdown.
Marjun Salve, choreographer of the Siloy Festival of Alcoy, Cebu, admitted feeling excited but at the same time pressured, saying that all participating LGUs have prepared hard for the competition.
Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia has thrown her full support behind the event and provided financial assistance to the participating LGUs.
“We cannot predict who is going to win. We made it to Top 4 in 2019 but we cannot say if we are going to make it again this year,” said Salve.
Salve said the competing LGUs will give their best as he guaranteed that watching the festival will be worth it.
Tabucanal and Salve are hoping that the return of the Pasigarbo will signal the reboot of the culture and arts industry. “We really welcome this and we hope this will continue,” said Salve.
Pasigarbo sa Sugbo is part of the month-long celebration of the 453rd founding anniversary of Cebu province.