Battle of festivals in Panaad

PHOTO BY ANDY ALVAREZ

BACOLOD CITY—For the third straight year, the spectacular Tinabu-ay Festival of Murcia town in Negros Occidental province was declared champion in the festival dance competition of the 24th Panaad sa Negros Festival held at Panaad Park and Stadium here.

This makes Murcia a Hall of Fame winner, festival director Rudy Reveche said.

Nineteen other performing groups from towns and cities of the province joined the competition, which lasted four hours on April 22.

Sinigayan Festival of Sagay City placed second; Kisi-Kisi Festival of Ilog town, third; Bailes de Luces of La Castellana, fourth; and Udyakan Festival of Kabankalan City, fifth.

A P75,000 prize was given to the champion; P60,000, second; P45,000; third; P30,000, fourth; and P20,000, fifth.

Judges were Shirley Halili-Cruz, chair of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) dance committee; Marichu Tellano, NCCA deputy executive director; Catherine Vestil, deputy project officer of the Cebu Sinulog Foundation; Dessa Quesada-Palm, chair of the NCCA committee on dramatic arts; and Rene Hinojales, Negros Occidential Centennial awardee for film and theater.