BILIRAN FIESTA. Bagasumbol Festival dancers entertain the crowd during last year's fiesta in Naval, Biliran. (Photo courtesy of biliranisland.com)
NAVAL, Biliran – Merrier fiesta celebrations are expected to draw more tourists to this capital town of Biliran, one of the country’s smallest provinces.
Mayor Gerard Espina, in a press briefing Wednesday, said they have lined up several activities from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6 to celebrate the fiesta, the Spanish term for festival.
One of the highlights is the celebration of Bagasumbol Festival, with six contingents from six of the eight towns in the province taking part.
Bagasumbol is the term that describes the town’s settlement in the old days.
The festival, which depicts Biliran’s legends, cultures, and histories will dominate the town’s main thoroughfares on Oct. 6
Town Mayor Gerard Espina said they are eyeing up to 10,000 locals and visitors to join the annual festivities.
“Our local celebrations are becoming more popular through social media promotions. We expect that more people will come and join the fun. We want people here to experience what is like to celebrate festivals in cities,” Espina said.
Naval State University President Victor Cañezo, Jr., chairman of the 2018 Naval Fiesta executive committee 2018, said the local government provided financial support to other towns for them to be able to join the festival.
“Six of the eight towns in Biliran have already confirmed their participation to Bagasumbol Festival. This is the first time that almost all towns are represented,” Cañezo said.
Another event is the “Tsinelas (flip-flops) Party “to be staged on the night of Oct. 6 in Naval’s major streets.
“Tsinelas Party is the people’s party. Everyone from all walks of life can join and celebrate,” Espina added.
The party that started in 2007 is open to everyone wearing flip flops. It is one of the biggest street parties in the country.
University of the Philippines Professor Rolando Borrinaga, a native of Biliran and a known historian in the region, said the party “carries with it a loud and defiant democratic protest statement from native of Naval town, who were displaced from the elitist fiesta-related parties of previous non-native officials.”
“The turning point came when the ordinary locals were fenced out with barbed wires during elitist Coronation Night on the eve of a fiesta in 2004, which was attended by invited heirs of some political dynasties around in the country,” Borrinaga said in an article published in Biliran Island blog.
Naval is a 2nd class town and capital of the province of Biliran, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 54,692 people dwelling on its 108.24-square kilometer area.
Local officials envision the town to become a city in the near future. Naval and Catarman, Northern Samar, are the only capitals in the six provinces in Eastern Visayas region that are not cities.
As per Republic Act No. 9009, for a town to become a city, it should have a locally generated income of at least PHP100 million for the last two consecutive years; a population of 150,000 or more; and a contiguous territory of 100 square kilometers.
“Since I became the mayor in 1998, I have witnessed the town’s humble beginnings, and its improvement in economy, which we hope would pave the way to the town’s cityhood,” said Biliran Governor Gerry Espina.
The town has 900 registered businesses, earning an average of PHP90 million in local income. (PNA)
