Bago City promotes culture, heritage Via ‘Sigabong sang mga Kanyon’

BACOLOD City – In a bid to promote the province’s rich culture and heritage especially among the younger generation, the City Government of Bago opened an eight-day photo exhibit featuring the images of the just-concluded Al Cinco de Noviembre celebration in the southern Negros Occidental city.

Mayor Nicholas Yulo and wife, Jeanne Louise “Jarie,” along with other local officials led the opening of the Sigabong sang mga Kanyon Photo Exhibit at the Main Atrium of SM City Bacolod on Wednesday, November 9.

Ace Balboa, city information officer, said the exhibit showcases 45 photographs of 23 Negrense photographers, mostly from Bago City, who joined the photo contest in line with the Al Cinco de Noviembre celebration last November 5.

Balboa said they opened the competition to all amateur and professional photographers as well as photo hobbyists in the province who submitted their photo entries featuring the Sigabong sang mga Kanyon Street Cannon and Dance Drama Competitions.

“From Bago City, we brought these photographs in Bacolod City so that more Negrenses, especially the younger ones, can experience Al Cinco de Noviembre and further appreciate the value of our history including the bravery of our ancestors who fought for our freedom 124 years ago,” he said.

Balboa added that the youth nowadays seemed to be engrossed with other things, including social media that lessened their interest on other important issues confronting the society.

“So, this exhibit is for the younger generation to appreciate our rich culture and heritage. We should redirect them towards better understanding and appreciation of our history, especially what happened in 1898,” he stressed.

The exhibit which will run until November 16 is open to the public during mall hours.

Yulo said the photo exhibit tends to perpetrate the heroism that General Juan Araneta and his troops showed for the people of Negros to stand up against the tyranny of foreign colonizers who ruled the Philippines for over 300 years.

“This is our tribute to the young generation so that they, too, may remember the history that transpired centuries ago,” the mayor said, underscoring that the lesson of the Al Cinco de Noviembre should still be learned today and apply to our modern world.

Meanwhile, the entries will be judged according to visual impact (relevance to the theme) – 30 percent; technical aspect (exposure, focus and image quality) – 30 percent; and artistic aspect (creativity and composition) – 40 percent.

The judges, who are experts in the field of photography, included Ronnie Baldonado, Gary Lake Liza, Billy Lopue, Dr. Erwin Lim and Engineer John Kimwell Laluma.

The winners will be announced at the end of the exhibit.

Five runners-up will each receive P2,000 in cash prize. The third, second and first place winners will get P5,000, P10,000 and P15,000 each, respectively.

The city will also be giving a special award for the Most Popular Photo on Facebook via The Citybridge Facebook Page. Three winners will each receive P1,000 in cash.

SM City Bacolod Mall Manager George Jardiolin, who also spoke at the activity, thanked the City Government of Bago for this tourism and cultural partnership.

The mall, Jardiolin said, has always been aggressive in advocating for the cultural gems of the province including Bago City.

“We hope for more of this partnership to preserve and share our rich history and culture,” he added.

Also present during the opening rites were Bago City Councilors Marina Javellana-Yao, Ma. Josefa Matti, Jake Patrick Torres, Robert Javellana and Imelda Precion, and Senior Tourism Operations Officer Mae Ann Furtos.

Caption.Bago City Information Office Photo. Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo (second from left) with wife, Jeanne Louise (third from left), leads the opening of the Sigabong sang mga Kanyon Photo Exhibit at the Main Atrium of SM City Bacolod on Wednesday, November 9. Also in photo, Councilors Jake Patrick Torres (left) and Ma. Josefa Matti (second from right), Senior Tourism Operations Officer Mae Ann Furtos (right) and SM City Bacolod Mall Manager George Jardiolin.