Sinigayan Festival 2024 opens with new gym, NBI Center Inauguration

BACOLOD CITY – The 28th Sinigayan Festival in Sagay City, Negros Occidental set to begin on March 15, will feature the grand inauguration of a P158-million modernized gymnasium and a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance Center.

The festival, known as the “Festival of Many Causes,” will commence at the City Public Plaza, followed by the unveiling and blessing of the Sagay City Gymnasium and the NBI Clearance Center, both situated within the plaza complex.

The new Sagay City Gymnasium boasts full air conditioning, seating for 1,500 spectators, and a maple basketball court floor. It’s equipped with a Sports Clinic, Performer’s Holding Area, a Sports Stable and Fitness Gym, Locker with Shower facilities, a Ticket Booth, and an Audio Room, ready to host a variety of sports and cultural activities as well as medium-sized meetings and events.

Additionally, the NBI Clearance Center, housed in the Senator Miguel Zubiri Building, will begin processing clearances on March 15, providing the community the convenience of local services previously only available in Bacolod City.

NBI Director Atty. Medardo De Lemos will serve as the honored speaker at the festival’s opening ceremony.

Mayor Narciso Javelosa, Jr., Vice Mayor Leo Rafael, Rep. Alfredo Marañon III, and city councilors will also open four themed festival villages: the Tali-ambong Food and Entertainment Village, Dagway Sagay Arts and Culture Village, Bugay Sagay Agro Aqua Village, and the Livestock and Poultry Village.

The festival, running from March 15 to 19, includes a wide array of sectoral, academic, sports, and religious events, alongside performances by Orange and Lemons, Yuya, Mandirigma, and Cup of Joe. On the closing day, the Sagay Water District will support the festival’s art and advocacy with free face painting at three strategic locations.

This year’s theme, “A Celebration of Joy and Thanksgiving,” aims to spotlight the city’s various awards and honors from national and international bodies.