DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Sept. 1 (PIA) -- Negros Oriental’s Buglasan Festival, one of the country’s grandest and most anticipated festivals, is slated on Oct. 23-30 in Dumaguete City.
Buglasan, dubbed as Negros Oriental’s “festival of festivals,” will flood back to the streets two years after it was shelved because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The weeklong celebration banners this year’s theme, “Revitalizing the Negrosanon Spirit through the Buglasan Festival.”
The Buglasan Executive Committee led by Gov. Pryde Henry Teves has allocated P13 million to subsidize participating local government units (LGUs) in the Festival and Booth competitions for the said celebration.
The Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, through Provincial Board Member Woodrow Maquiling Sr. as committee chair of tourism and culture and arts, has sent a request to Malacañang to declare Oct. 28 (Friday) as a special non-working day in the province.
Co-chair of the Negros Oriental Tourism Council (NOTC) Glynda Descuatan reported that over 10 local government units (LGUs) will participate in the Festival and 20 towns and cities will join the Booth Fair Display.
Descuatan said each participating LGU in the showdown and street dance competition will receive a subsidy of P250,000.
These include the cities of Guihulngan, Tanjay, Bayawan, Canlaon, Dumaguete and Bais and the municipalities of Sibulan, Vallehermoso, Santa Catalina, Manjuyod, Valencia, and Jimalalud.
On the other hand, 20 LGUs have signified their intent to join the Buglasan Booth Fair Display, namely: the cities of Dumaguete, Guihulngan, Canlaon, Bayawan, Bais and Tanjay and the municipalities of Vallehermoso, Jimalalud, Tayasan, Ayungon, Bindoy, Manjuyod, Mabinay, Pamplona, San Jose, Sibulan, Valencia, Dauin, Siaton, and Basay.
Each LGU will also receive P100,000 subsidy or a total of P2 million for the 20 LGUs.
This year’s Buglasan Festival will be held at the Pantawan within the Rizal Boulevard area in Dumaguete City.
Teves said he cannot put in jeopardy the Buglasan Festival celebration since the Freedom Park and its vicinity has become a ‘’swimming pool’’ each time heavy rains come. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental)
