Naawan tops Kuyamis dance tilt

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The town of Naawan was declared champion of the street dance competition for the second consecutive year during the weeklong celebration of the Kuyamis Festival in Misamis Oriental, taking home the grand prize of P500,000.

Naawan outshone contingents from Magsaysay, Claveria, Gingoog and Initao, marking this year’s competition as one of the most vibrant and inclusive in festival history.

Governor Peter “Sr. Pedro” Unabia also announced that each participating town and city would receive P1 million for tourism-based projects, supporting the region’s growth.

Additionally, P1 million was set aside for educational assistance. Other winners in the street dance competition included: Magsaysay, first runner-up (P300,000); Claveria, second runner-up.

The festival’s awarding ceremony was graced by key officials, including Senator Imee Marcos, former Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, Department of Tourism Undersecretary Ferdinand Jumapao, Governor Unabia and Reps. Christian Unabia and Bambi Emano.

The Kuyamis Festival not only highlighted the rich cultural heritage of Misamis Oriental but also underscored the province’s growing potential as a major tourism destination.

The “Kuyamis” fruit, a young coconut, is the province’s key agricultural product, thriving along the coastal towns of Macajalar Bay since the province’s founding 95 years ago. The festival celebrated this vital local resource while promoting the region’s economic potential.

One of the event’s major highlights was the crowning of Miss Kuyamis at the Lim Ket Kai Complex in Cagayan de Oro City, where Medina town’s candidate was named the winner. Other winners of the beauty pageant included Zusmitha Sheen E. Itum of Tagoloan, first runner-up; Quench Gift G. Espantaleon of Magsaysay, second runner-up; Christal Briseis P. Polancos of Manticao, third runner-up; and Nicole Y. Lobido of Laguindingan, fourth runner-up.