No P3M aid; Basakanons back out from Aliwan

The Lumad Basakanons of barangay Basak San Nicolas in Cebu City will not be able to compete in this year’s Aliwan Festival in Manila because of money problems.

Barangay captain George Rama said they failed to raise the P3 million they would need for their April 10 trip.

“Sakit pero unsaon ta man. Ato na lang ni ikatawa (It hurts but there’s nothing I can do about it but laugh it off),” he said.

Rama said that many of their performers cried when he broke the news about their having to skip this year’s Aliwan Festival in a meeting he called Wednesday night.

The dancers have been practicing for the competition in the last two months.

request junked

Councilor Margot Osmena, City Council’s chairperson of the budget committee, turned down the Basakanons’ request for financial assistance from the Cebu City government’s share of funds from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor) to cover their travel expenses to Manila. Osmeña said that joining the Aliwan Festival didn’t qualify for the use of the funds.

“We tried (to find other fund sources for their travel) but lisud gyud kaayo,” said Mayor Michael Rama, barangay captain Rama’s cousin.

Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation, said he already informed Aliwan organizers last Wednesday that the city wouldn’t send a contingent for this year’s festival.

Aside from the invitation sent last Feb. 25, organizers called Ballesteros and barangay captain Rama last Wednesday to follow up on the Basakanons’ competing in the festival.

festival queen

Instead of sending the Basakanon contingent, the city government will instead send representatives to compete in the Aliwan’s festival queen and float competition.

The Sinulog 2013 festival queen winner Jaime Herrell and the International Pharmaceutical Inc. float will represent the city government in the festival.

The Basakanons needed P3 million to compete in the Aliwan. The amount will already include the cost of their travel – P1.7 million, meals – P1 million and costumes and props – P300,000.

The Basakanon contingent consist of dancers, propsmen, instrumentalists and support staff.

Basakanons are three-time champions in the Aliwan. They won the national competition of festivals in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

cultural in nature

Councilor Osmeña said in a committee report during last Wednesday’s council session that the Aliwan festival, which was “cultural in nature,” didn’t qualify for the use of Pagcor funds.

Osmeña said it would be best for councilor Jose Daluz III, who sponsored the resolution seeking the P3 million financial assistance, to consider other fund sources like the city sponsored activities to fund the Basakanons’ travel.

Mayor Rama said the city no longer have other sources from where they could take the P3 million that the Basakanons need.

He said it is binugo (dumb) on the part of the council not to authorize the charging of the P3 million funds to the city’s Pagcor share.

“You don’t just pass the buck (and ask Councilor Daluz to find other fund sources). They (the council) should be helping (find other fund sources),” said Rama.

Rama said he wrote Pagcor this week to seek clarification on Osmeña’s claims that the city’s Aliwan Festival cannot be funded from pagcor funds.

politics

It is unfortunate that the council is trying to politicize the Basakanons’ travel to the Aliwan, said barangay captain Rama, who is an ally of Team Rama, the group going against the Bando Osmena Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) in the May elections.

Most of the councilors are members of the BO-PK.

“Gibuhat na ni nato sa una pero nganong karon ra man dili pwede ma charge sa Pagcor,” said barangay captain Rama.

Osmeña said the budget committee would refer the matter to the City Accountant as this wasn’t a qualified project which could be funded through the Pagcor Funds.

Osmeña cited a City Council resolution which set the guidelines for using Pagcor funds. The qualitified activities include healthcare, self-sustainable projects, scholarships, and infrastructure projects essential to the community.