BESAO, Mountain Province – The municipal government has lined up numerous activities to celebrate the town’s 114th founding anniversary and fiesta and the 10th Ubaya festival on March 1-4, 2018.
Mayor Johnson Bantog II said that the agreed theme for this year’s festivities is “Besao Goes International: Sustaining the Besao Identity in a Global Community.
The 4-day festivities will kick off with a parade that will be followed by the opening program and ground demonstration as well as the opening of the town’s agro-industrial fair.
Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan will services and the guest of honor and speaker during the opening program which will be held at the town’s covered gymnasium.
The program will be followed by a community lunch known as ‘tepeng’ and the simultaneous conduct of the indigenous games and other ball games in different venues around the town.
Various streetdancing contingents will be showcasing their sterling performances during the streetdancing competition during the second day of the fiesta which will be followed by zonal and invitational games and followed by band performances in the evening.
The third day will be the chance for the town’s contingent to the Lang-ay festival of the province in April to showcase their performances which will be followed by a marathon and the continuation of the zonal and invitational games in the different playing venues.
The fourth day of the festivities will be devoted for the awarding of winners in the different competitions that were lined up by the organizers for the celebration of the town’s founding anniversary and festival.
Among the indigenous games that were lined up for this year’s festivities include akakad, tug-of war, sulti, sanggol, innawwitan and depap ti otik while the ball games will include baseball, softball, basketball and volleyball.
Mayor Bantog extended the invitation to all who trace their roots to the municipality and those interested to visit the town to join the residents in the celebration of the fiesta.
He said that the annual town fiesta gives a chance for the people of Besao and those who trace their roots from the 14 barangays to come together and enjoy the activities that were prepared by the local government and for the people to have the rare chance of interacting with the visitors from other places not only in the country but also from other parts of the world.
The festival organizers assured the winners of the different competitions attractive prizes that came from the local government and the donors for them to be empowered to continue joining locally organized activities to contribute in efforts to harnessing their skills and knowledge in their fields of expertise.
Besao is a fifth-class town located in western Mountain Province which could be reached via a 5 to 6-hour travel vial public transport from Baguio City. Its weather is similar to the semi-temperate climate of Baguio City and plays host to numerous undiscovered tourist spots lodged in the town’s 14 barangays. Besao is bounded by Sagada, Tadian and Tubo in Abra.
By HENT
