BACOLOD CITY — After placing second place last year, the Sinigayan Festival of Sagay City bagged the top prize in the 2018 Festival Dance Competition of the 25th Panaad sa Negros Festival held at the Panaad Park and Stadium here on Saturday night.
Sagay bested 21 other entries to win the championship trophy and cash prize of PHP75,000 for its marine protection-themed presentation, depicting “under the sea” creatures in giant props bursting with vibrant colors.
La Castellana’s Bailes de Luces took the second place, winning PHP60,000 in cash; Talisay City’s Minuluan Festival, third, PHP45,000; Ilog’s Kisi-Kisi Festival, fourth, PHP30,000; and Kabankalan City’s Udyakan Festival, fifth, PHP20,000.
Last year’s champion, Tinabu-ay Festival of Murcia, skipped the 2018 competition after making it to the Hall of Fame for winning the top prize in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Organizers said the festival dance entries depict the unique character of each of the town’s festival in a colorful and jubilant presentation.
Each participating town or city had 20 to 50 performers taking the Panaad stage for a maximum of five minutes.
This year’s judges included multi-awarded artistic director and dance educator Shirley Halili-Cruz, Davao City events organizer Corazon Agustin, Negros Oriental Second District Board Member Mariant Escaño-Villegas, theater artist-teacher Rosanna Quesada-Palm, and Silliman University dance artistic director Engel Boen Zerna.
The festival dance showdown is one of the main events of the annual Panaad sa Negros Festival.
The festivity’s silver edition is slated for nine days from April 14 to 22. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
