The Sidlak Kadalag-an and Tinabuay festivals of Victorias City and Murcia were declared the champions in the city and municipality categories of the Best of Festival Dances Competition during the first day of the Panaad sa Negros Festival at the Panaad Stadium, Bacolod City, Monday, April 15.
Victorias was also the champion in last year’s competition with Murcia coming in second.
Victorias’ festival, which featured the city’s history, emerged the champion out of the nine cities that competed in the city category and brought home a P200,000 cash prize, Rudy Reveche, Panaad Cultural Competitions chairman, said.
The Pintaflores Festival of San Carlos City was in second place with cash prize of P75,000, Silay City’s Kansilay Festival in third place with P50,000, Kabankalan’s Udyakan Festival in fourth place with P30,000, and Sagay’s Sinigayan Festival fifth place with P20,000.
Originally, P100,000 was the top prize for the champion but Senator Imee Marcos added another P100,000 for each of the city and municipality categories.
The Tinabuay Festival of Murcia, which featured the dedication to the teachers, brought home the championship prize in the municipality category of P200,000, Reveche said.
Don Salvador Benedicto’s Kali-Kalihan Festival was in second place with a cash prize of P75,000, Ilog’s Kisi-Kisi Festival came in third with P50,000, Cauayan’s Lubay-Lubay Festival – fourth place with P30,000, and Calatrava‘s Lilas Pandan Festival – fifth with P20,000.
Victorias City and Don Salvador Benedicto also received the Best Festival Video Introduction and brought home cash prizes worth P20,000 each.
There were 14 municipalities and 9 cities who joined the competition.*