It was a hot, humid April afternoon with contingents of students, garbed in their onion farmer-inspired costumes, patiently waiting for the start of the three-part street dance competition, the culmination of the Sibuyas Festival, held annually from 1 to 10 April, of Bongabon in Nueva Ecija.
The heat was scorching that the local chief executive, Mayor Ricardo Padilla, decided to move the event a couple of hours from the original start time to prevent any health-related untoward incidents. Yet the performers were eager to perform their dance moves inspired by the movements of planting and harvesting onion, the crop Bongabon produces most and the reason for the town being dubbed as the “Onion Capital of the Philippines.”
There was a total of nine contingents from both the elementary and high school categories with each performing the said dance called saki at the gymnasium of the Bongabon National High School, along the street going to the market, and the grand showdown in front of the market.
The performances were accompanied by the festival’s theme song “Angat Bongabon,” composed and with lyrics by local historian Maynard Reguyal. The “saki” dance meanwhile was created by teacher Laarni Saguiguit.
Due to technical issues during the competition’s first stop, an impressive, moving show of solidarity, of bayanihan unfolded when the music would at times stop during performances. Realizing that it could affect in the performances, the audience including the competing teams themselves start singing acapella and in chorus to fill the lines lost, done spontaneously and without interference. The technical issue happened in all of the nine contingents and the people did the singing whenever the issue happens. The song has been ingrained to them that it is already in their system, in their heart, in their identity as inhabitants of the quaint and scenic town which was the first capital of Nueva Ecija.
The communal spirit and volunteerism are much alive in this town as evidenced by the successful holding of this local government-organized touristic and cultural festival for about two decades now and improved in recent years. This communal spirit is evident in the rehearsals and performances, in the creation of costumes, in the impressive floats showcasing Bongabon’s agricultural bounty, and in the preparation of food for the visitors to partake.
Impressive, too, are the student volunteers for the different activities of the festival, lending their services day and night and even to the wee hours of the morning just to ensure the success of every undertaking.
These are just some of the tangible and intangible evidences of the admirable values of the people of Bongabon and the communal action they do to for their town, making each time they hold the yearly fest memorable and with a long-lasting effect.
For the street dance competition, Cluster 3 won the elementary category and the returning Macabaclay National High School was adjudged champion in the high school category.
Capping the 10-day event is a pulsating carabao race followed by a variety show held at the town plaza.