Fluvial parade highlights Higalaay 2025

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The annual “Higalaay Festival,” a monthlong celebration in honor of the city’s patron saint, St. Augustine, will culminate with a religious fluvial parade on 28 August.

The parade will begin at Puntod in Macajalar Bay and end at Duaw Park, near St. Augustine Cathedral.

The head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department, Nick Jabagat, said security measures have been implemented for the event, including a regulation on the use of drones. Drones must be registered with the Public Information Office and the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, which will designate specific areas for drone flights. Jabagat added that aerial footage from drones would be used for monitoring activities.

“Bloggers and news reporters were given specific areas where they can pilot their drones,” he said.

A civic and military parade will also be held on 27 August, starting at Rotonda Velez and ending at the Marcos Sports Complex, followed by a street dancing competition.

The Road and Traffic Administration will deploy traffic enforcers on major streets. Spectators are advised to go to Rio de Oro Boulevard along the Cagayan River to watch the fluvial parade.

Last year, Mayor Rolando Uy declared the 2024 festival a success, thanking residents and various groups for their contributions. The festival featured a trade fair, a dragon boat race, a fireworks competition, a rhythmic field demonstration, and a motocross festival.

Cell phone signals were shut off in areas near the street dancing and civic-military parade as a security measure.