CEBU CITY – Halted by the pandemic for three years, the Saulog Festival in Tagbiliran City, Bohol made a successful return on Sunday, April 30.
BARANGAY Tiptip dancers perform their winning routine in the Saulog Festival street dancing and grand ritual showdown at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Sunday night, April 30. (Calvin D. Cordova)
Tagbilaran Mayor Jane Yap said the staging of the festival showed that the city, after it was badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and typhoon “Odette,” is back on its feet.
“After three long years, Saulog has finally made a comeback. We were treated by the world-class performance of our contingent barangays. Saulog did not only showcase Tagbilaran but it also promoted the entire Bohol province,” said Yap.
Yap said this year’s Saulog was extra special. Saulog is actually a month-long celebration with daily activities being held in the city as part of the festivities.
“It reactivated economic activity in the city. We have so many foreign visitors and the festival showed how friendly Tagbilaranons are and how lovely the city is,” said Yap.
The street dancing and grand ritual showdown were participated in by 15 barangays.
Barangay Tiptip emerged as the biggest winners after bagging all but one of the six special awards.
Tiptip pocketed the P250,000 top purse after it was adjudged the grand overall street dancing and grand ritual champion.
Barangay Poblacion 3 finished second, followed by Poblacion 2, Dampas, and Ubujan.
The second to fifth placers received P200,000, P150,000, P120,000, and P100,000, respectively.
Tiptip also won the best in street dancing, best in choreography, best in production design, best in costume, and best in field performance awards.
Poblacion 3 won the best in musicality award.
Each special award had a corresponding P20,000 cash prize.
Each barangays also received P400,000 from the city as subsidy for their participation in the festival.
Yap said the city is preparing for a bigger Saulog next year as she promised to give bigger prizes to participating barangays.
“Aside from cash prizes, we will also give P1-million worth of projects to the champion so that we can give them a long-lasting effect of their efforts. They can use the prize to build computer rooms or libraries,” said Yap.
The grand ritual showdown at the province-owned Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex was attended by at least 13,000 individuals, according to the police estimate.
Hundreds of spectators also lined up to witness the street dancing.