Loboc holds arts festival

THE music capital of Bohol now wants to be also recognized as one that protects and conserves its rich heritage in a festival that could be first in the province. Norma Varquez, president of the Loboc Music Foundation, Inc. said the forthcoming 6th Arts Festival set on Dec. 23 at the Joventino Digal auditorium, would fete the towns 17 elementary and 4 public and private secondary schools and communities in an arts festival sponsored by the Loboc Local Government Unit. The 2006 Arts Festival will banner competitions conducted for Instrumental Ensemble and Drama theater. For theater, the story will focus on the preservation of desirable aspects of Lobocano Heritage, while the contest pieces for instrumental ensemble are “Pobreng Alindahaw” for the elementary level and “Wasay-wasay” for the secondary level. Chorus and dance categories will not be contested but will be purely festival in nature.

The choral pieces are “Love Came Down on Christmas Day” for the elementary level and “The Philippine Christmas Carol” (Tagalog version) for the secondary level. The dance category will be a product of research at the barangay and sitio levels to portray the movement, life and culture of the Lobocano. The 2006 Arts Festival has expanded participation to the community level. Competitions for Vocal Solo on an old Visayan song, and the Balitaw will be based on the eight districts of the municipality, where each district which is composed of three or four barangays, is headed by a District Councilor, or the Kagawad. The Balitaw which uses the traditional Balitaw melody will have original lyrics which will showcase the beauty of the Loboc River and the benefits it has given the people, as well as the ways to preserve and conserve it. Each district contestant for the balitaw will be composed of one male and one female singers and accompaniment shall be guitar or a rondalla/comparza.

The traditional “Daygon” is open to any interested group.

This will be sung by a minimum of five and a maximum of 15 singers to be accompanied by a guitar or rondalla or comparza. The song shall tell the story of the first Christmas and it shall not have been sung nor popularized in the music industry. This song shall also be a product of community research. Contestants in the Vocal Solo category is any out-of-school youth or adult, at least 16 years of age. Workshops have been conducted by contest category to capacitate the teachers and community trainors to train the children and youth. The organizers of the Arts Festival believe that through regular activities like this, the rich cultural heritage of Loboc will be preserved and passed on to the next generation.

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