CARAGAN FEST IS MABALACAT

NEWS DATE: 2009-02-23

By: Ka Roger C. Tanglao

            Caragan Fest is MABALACAT.  With only four days left, the slated festival will start at exactly 1 p.m. on Friday, which will display a spectacular street dance feat, parade of unique floats designed with native aeta materials, costumes and ethnic dresses in a stretch of about three kilometers on Mac Arthur Highway from Mabiga to Poblacion.

The fest is termed as “Festival of all Festivals” by Jun Magbalot, co-chair of the Mabalacat Fiesta Committee when asked to comment.  “Three entries will compete for the Best Ethnic group, 19 public and private elementary schools will do their talent to capture the Hon. Pros Lagman’s Overall Champion award, while 9 private high schools and colleges will showcase their dancing skill to snatch the most coveted Hon. Marino “Boking” P. Morales’ Grand Champion award” as he further explained.

Revolving trophies, subsidies and some P 200,000 worth of prizes will be given by the Mabalacat Fiesta Committee according to a reliable source closed to the fiesta committee officials.

            Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales said the Mabalacat College will also participate as a guest group while municipal employees will form the “Boking Tribe”.  The mayor said “the festival is to honor the rich cultural heritage of the people of Mabalacat which was displayed by the Aetas, the town's original inhabitants”.

            The Mabalacat Center for Arts will also showcase their dance skill to add color and festive mood to spectators of the festival which is now on its second stage.

            Meanwhile, Deng Pangilinan, Chairman of the Mabalacat Fiesta Committee, said that Senator Richard “Dick” J. Gordon has been invited as the guest speaker in this year’s celebration.  He further said that Gordon, former Tourism Secretary, may further boost the town’s yearly celebration and our local version may be included among the well-known festivals in the country.

The Caragan Festival is a brain-child of Morales, Magbalot, Pangilinan and the Sangguniang Bayan of Mabalacat.  It is supported by the Mabalacat Performing Arts, DepEd, local schools and colleges, and the business sector.

            With the enormous parade of colors and dances, the municipal government has issued traffic advisory to riding public to prevent gridlock along Mac Arthur Highway and other inner streets of this 1^st class town.