Cagayan de Oro City once again transformed its streets into a kaleidoscope of colors, music, and merriment as it commemorated the Higalaay Festival 2023.

This month-long fiesta celebration, dedicated to Saint Augustine, resonated with the essence of unity, culture, and shared festivities.

The festival featured agro and trade fairs, ‘larong-pinoy,’ rhythmic field demonstrations, street-dancing competitions, parades, fashion summit, and Miss CDO 2023 pageant, among others.

Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando A. Uy shared the word "Higalaay" of Higalaay Festival 2023 came from the word “higala," which speaks so much about the vibrant culture and rich history of the city.

"Ang Higalaay Festival nagsaulog sa pagkamahigalaanon sa Kagay-anon, usa ka kinaiya nga adunay lawon nga gamot sa kultura ug kasaysayan sa atong pinalanggang dakbayan [Higalaay Festival celebrates the friendly and hospitable nature of a Kagay-anon, a trait that stems up to the root of our city’s culture and history]," he said.

Mayor Uy shared that the festival was composed of several core events, creatively crafted and planned by the city government and its partners.

Among the highly anticipated events is the Higalaay Civic Military Parade and Float Competition, in which Palawan Pawnshop was hailed as the champion securing a cash prize of P300,000. Barangay Carmen closely followed as a runner-up and JE Hydro & Bio-Energy Corporation secured the second runner-up position, receiving cash prizes of P200,000 and P100,000, respectively.

Vince Geophra Tormis from Barangay Macasandig secured the title of Miss Cagayan de Oro 2023. The first and second runners-up positions were claimed by Katheryn Guipetacio from Barangay Lapasan and Hannah Marie Carpenter from Barangay 17, respectively. Meanwhile, Kathleen Ubanan from Barangay Iponan was named the third runner-up, while Angel Junalyn Colima from Barangay Kauswagan earned the title of fourth runner-up.

Moreover, Barangay Gusa was hailed champion for this year's Higalaay Festival 2023 Street Dancing Competition, receiving a cash prize of P300,000. The contingent, comprised of 140 participants clad in gold and maroon attire, presented a performance titled "Istorya sa Kagayan," which depicted the history of Cagayan de Oro City. The narrative highlighted the conversion of Datu Salangsang, the leader of the hilltop community Himologan, presently known as Barangay Taguanao, to Catholicism.

Barangays Carmen and Puerto followed as the second and third-place winners, earning cash prizes of P200,000 and P100,000, respectively.

Kagay-anons met the fiesta proper with a religious fluvial procession at the Cagayan River, which also capped the month-long fiesta celebration. Mayor Uy and Cagayan de Oro City Archbishop Jose A. Cabantan led the city and barangay officials during the procession. A total of 13 barangays namely Carmen, Agusan, Puntod, Bonbon, Kauswagan, Gusa, Barangays 1, 10 and 15, Consolacion, Bayabas, Patag, and Macabalan participated in the religious activity.

At the onset, Barangay Patag won the competition, receiving a P30,000 cash prize and a trophy. The first runner-up is Barangay Consolacion, which won P20,000 and a trophy, and the second runner-up is Barangay Carmen, with a P10,000 cash prize and a trophy.

"Atong himuon ang Higalaay Festival nga pasundayag sa liderato sa rehiyon, sa atung dakbayan, hilabi na sa hisgutanang pang-ekonomiya, pagmatigayon ug negosyo, sa edukasyon, sa panglawas ug sa uban pang kalihukan sa katilingban [Let’s make Higalaay Festival a showcase of the governance of this region, of our city, especially in the matters of economy, trading and business, education, health and other community activities]," Uy said.

Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez, for her part, invited Kagay-anons to unite with joy and gratitude as they celebrate the Higalaay Festival season.

"Let us cherish our shared heritage, dreams, and excellence sa tanan natong gihimo para sa dakbayan [for all that we do for the city]," Rodriguez added.

To her, she wanted the festival to be a reminder that Kagay-anons are one family. United by a shared history, traditions, and a culture of camaraderie, Cagayan de Oro is progressing towards becoming a more prosperous city.

Higalaay Festival 2023 was not merely a series of events; it was a tapestry woven with threads of memories, experiences, and friendships. As families, friends, and visitors converged to partake in the festivities, a sense of belonging and kinship enveloped the city.

Through the vibrant tapestry of agro fairs, parades, dances, and competitions, the Higalaay Festival 2023 celebrated the harmonious blend of tradition and progress. It rekindled the flame of unity among the people of Cagayan de Oro, painting the city with hues of friendship and festivity. (IJBD/PIA-10)