Masbate Rodeo Festival 2018 Kicks Off with Street Dancing Competition
2018 is the 25th year of the Rodeo Festival and the grand opening already kicked off on Monday.
Thousands of spectators from different provinces in Bicol region have gathered at the provincial capitol of Masbate. However, before they fully experience the Wild West, the celebration started with a parade of students from various academic institutions dressed in their colorful costumes.
The Festival of Festivals is a street dancing competition where contestants can interpret their own town’s or city’s festival and culture through dancing.
AT 2 P.M., the street dancing started with contingents representing the Lapay Bantigue Festival of Masbate City, the Banwaan Festival of Balud town, Pamasayan Festival of Mandaon town, Himag-ulaw Festival of Placer town, Bulawanong Ani Festival of Cataingan, and Pasayaw sa Leon Festival of Palanas town.
Once the dust settled and the dancing stopped, the group that presented the Lapay Bantigue Fest of Masbate City became the champion and winner of a whopping P1 million.
Benjie Santiago, director of the Department of Tourism Bicol, described the opening as a spectacular crowd drawer.
“As always, we are expecting a great number of tourists just to personally witness the breath-taking steer wrestling or bulldogging, saddle bronc riding and tie down roping contest in the arena,” Masbate Gov. Antonio Kho added.
Aside from the street dance, the Rodeo Festival also had an opening parade where the main attraction are the residents in their cowboy apparels and on horseback.
via Inquirer / Michael B. Jaucian
