Negros Oriental had a literal taste of the adage “rain on someone’s parade”, but the inclement weather failed to dampen the adrenaline and euphoria of the 44th Buglasan Festival.
The Festival of Festivals, the highlight of the 10-day celebration, received a heavy rainfall but that didn’t prevent the participating contingents in putting their best feet forward in making this year’s edition the best-ever Buglasan.
Bais City had a downpour of awards as its Hudyaka sa Bais Festival emerged as grand champion of the Street Dance and Showdown Competitions, and snatched other top posts in the Choreography, Choreographer, and Identification Arch categories.
Known for its dolphin watching cruises around Bais Bay, the City also topped the Grand Float Competition with its colorful and intricate marine life-themed design.
Meanwhile, Bayawan City won the Best in Costume as well as the Buglasan King and Queen side contests.
Mabinay’s Langub Festival got the public nod with the People’s Choice Award for their captivating performance showcasing their ancestor’s Aeta indigenous heritage. Regarded as the province’s caving capital, the town also bagged the LGU Booth Fair Competition, as well as the Best Architectural and Structural Design, and Best in Exhibit and Thematic Content awards.
Moreover, Misty Allen of the Municipality of Valencia was adjudged as Miss Negros Oriental 2024, aside from winning the Best Speaker, Best in Swim Wear, and Miss Photogenic special awards. She will lead the fresh batch of the province’s ambassadresses of goodwill and tourism, along with runners-up Michelle McNeely of Sibulan, LJ Moredo of Tanjay City, Meah Patricia Balauro of Santa Catalina, and Ricah Alcorin of Guihulngan City.
Negros Oriental governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria said that this year’s Buglasan is the most event-filled and most-attended annual festivity, with the profusion of artistry, culture, heritage, and touristic attributes from all over the province. He also noted that the Festival was a grand display of the people’s unity and resilience in line with its theme “Celebrating Dedicated Public Servants, A Resilient and Supportive Constituency, and the Harvest of Progress through Destination Stewardship”.
Introduced in 1981, the festival was derived from buglas or Buglas Insulis, the name of precolonial era Negros referring to the tall marsh grass which grew in abundance across the island.
He also noted the 191 percent exponential increase in the province’s visitor arrivals for the first half of 2024, compared to the same period last year, due to more focused campaign through the Tourism Roadshows, a partnership with local governments, and better relationships with industry stakeholders.
Sagarbarria also expressed confidence in tourism’s upward trajectory with the recent creation of the Negros Island Region, where they will host some regional offices of key national government agencies.
Spicing up the fest were the International Negros Oriental Marathon, Negros Island Moto-Tour Adventure, and Negros Dive Fest which strengthened the province’s positioning as a sports tourism and scuba diving hub in the Visayas. Fringe events included pyro-musical, marching bands, inter-LGU modern street dance, folk dance, folk poetry, and culinary competitions.
