CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Seventy-nine barangays in this city competed in the Fiesta sa Barrio games, one of the core activities in this year’s Higalaay Festival, at the Misamis Oriental Integrated Sports Complex on Tuesday, August 22.
TUG-of-War, one of the native games featured in the Fiesta sa Barrio at the Misamis Oriental Integrated Sports Complex in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday, August 22. (Franck Dick Rosete)
Participating barangays played native games such as dakop biik, patintero, sack race relay, karang-karang with a twist, high heel relay, tug-of-war, dodgeball, flour game relay, palosebo, and shatong.
City Councilor Yan Lam Lim, president of the Alliance of Barangay Concerns, said this was the very first Fiesta sa Barrio held in the Higalaay Festival.
Lim thanked barangay officials for making the event successful.
PALOSEBO during Fiesta sa Barrio at the Misamis Oriental Integrated Sports Complex in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday, August 22. (Franck Dick Rosete)
"For our barangay captains who are always present here, I hope that we shouldn’t forget the Fiesta sa Barrio because this is the first time and I hope that this will continue every year," Lim said in the vernacular during his opening message.
Only Barangay 4 did not participate. No reason was given, said Ivy Guantero, city information officer.
Prior to the start of the games, participating barangays were given the opportunity to showcase their respective chants to boost their fighting spirit.
Each barangay also showcased their best "boodle setup" as part of the competition.
KARANG-KARANG during Fiesta sa Barrio at the Misamis Oriental Integrated Sports Complex in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday, August 22. (Franck Dick Rosete)
Barangays 26 and Consolacion were proclaimed winners, respectively, in the pre-game contests.
Barangay Nazareth was proclaimed champion in the palosebo game. Barangay Tignapoloan topped Karang-karang, Barangay 12 for shatong, Barangay Puntod for flour game relay, Baranga Balubal for tug-of-war, Barangay Tumpagon for patintero, and Barangay Bayabas for high heel and sack race relays.
Barangays Dansolihon, Tuburan, Canitoan, Tignapoloan, and Pigsag-an were proclaimed winners in the dodgeball game. In dakop biik, winners were Barangays Balulang, Besigan, Lumbia, Puntod, 9, 32, and Barangay 36.
Barangay Bayabas was proclaimed the overall champion in Fiesta sa Barrio and won P70,000.
Barangay Tuburan was second, Barangay Balulang, third, Barangay Tablon, fourth, and Barangay Tignapoloan, fifth. They received cash prizes.
During the event, city Mayor Rolando Uy delivered a message and thanked Misamis Oriental Gov. Peter Unabia for allowing the city government to use the venue for the games.
PATINTERO during Fiesta sa Barrio conducted at the Misamis Oriental Integrated Sports Complex in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday, August 22. (Franck Dick Rosete)