Close to 130 awards and cash prizes of about P2 million were given to individuals, groups, and local government units who won in the 11 major competitions of the 28th Panaad sa Negros Festival during the closing and awarding ceremonies at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City on Sunday, April 21.
During the week-long provincial festival, there were 11 major competitions held at the Panaad Park and Stadium, and other venues around Bacolod City from April 15 to 21.
Among the competitions were the Festival of Dances, Folk Dance, Choral, Latin Dance Sport, Festival Costume, Komposo, Drumbeating, Pop dance, Visual Arts, Lin-ay sang Negros, and the Search for Best LGU Booth Compliant with RA9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act.
In his closing message, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson thanked the local chief executives and elected officials for exceeding expectations for this year’s Panaaad celebration. He also thanked the competition participants for their “extraordinary talent and dedication” that represent the best of the province.
In the Festival Dances Competition City Category, Victorias City was declared champion, followed by cities of San Carlos, Silay, Kabankalan, and Sagay as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th runners-up, respectively.
In the municipal category, Murcia was the champion, followed by Don Salvador Benedicto, Ilog, Cauayan, and Calatrava as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th runners-up, respectively.
Victorias City and Don Salvador were also awarded for Best Festival Video introduction.
Cadiz City was declared champion in the folk dance competition followed by Manapla, Binalbagan, Bacolod City, and Silay City as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th runners-up, respectively.
Consolation prizes were also given to Victorias, San Carlos, and Talisay cities.
La Castellana was the champion and brought home Best Interpretation of the Contest Piece and Best Show choir awards in the choral competition followed by Kabankalan City and Isabela as 1st and 2nd runners-up, respectively.
In the Latin Dance Sports competition, Himamaylan City was declared 1st place in the amateur division, while Talisay City was the winner in the juvenile division, and Silay City in the third kind division.
The cities of Talisay and Sagay were also the big winners in the festival costume competition, indigenous and colorful categories, respectively.
Calatrava was the big winner in the komposo competition followed by Kabankalan City and San Enrique, as 1st and 2nd runners-up, respectively, while consolation prizes were also given to cities of Cadiz, Sipalay, and Escalante.
La Carlota City proved to be the drum beating city of the province after they clinched the championship in the drum beating competition followed by cities of Bago and Talisay as 1st and 2nd runners-up.
The cities of Kabankalan, Cadiz, and San Carlos were also given consolation prizes in the competition.
The representative of Cadiz City was declared the champion in the visual arts competition followed by Pontevedra and Sagay City as 1st and 2nd runners-up, while consolation prizes were given to Silay City, Murcia, and Ilog.
Kyla Rose Romarate from Victorias City was crowned the new Lin-ay sang Negros, while Zoe Clarisse Limson from Cauayan was 1st runner-up, Patricia Ysabel Galapino of Ilog – 2nd runner-up, Roshyn Kate Jamantoc of Talisay City – 3rd runner-up, and Gelisa Marie Nangan of Hinigaran – 4th runner-up.
Sagay City and Calatrava town were the 1st place winners in the city and municipality category of the Best LGU Booth Compliant with RA9003. Following Sagay were the cities of Cadiz, San Carlos, Siplay, Bago, and Himamaylan, in the 2nd to 6th place, respectively, while following Calatrava were the towns of Pulupandan, Murcia, Candoni, Manapla, Moises Padilla, San Enrique, Ilog, Cauayan, and E.B. Magalona in 2nd to 10th places, respectively.
The governor thanked the Panaad Task Group, Multi-Sectoral Alliance for Development-Negros, non-government organizations, government agencies, sponsors, concessionaires, and the working committee and production teams for making “this year’s Panaad bigger and more spectacular, worthy of the time of our beloved Negrenses”.*