Festivals of the North not rigged – Rafanan

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – “No lutong Macao (It was not rigged),” declared by the Bangus Festival 2017’s Executive Chairman to the critics that the scoring on the street dancing competition's Festivals of the North (FON) were tampered in favor of this city.

The FON will see the champion of the street dancing contest here pit against those contestants from Central and Northern Luzon’s areas.

According to Francisco “Epee” Rafanan, the members of the board of judges in the vaunted FON are professional practitioners sanctioned by the National Commission on Culture and Arts.

Rafanan debunked accusation that this city’s three consecutive successful championship's streaks of the FON were rigged.

“We invited our guests for a barangay festival with the help of the National Commission on Culture & Arts. Ibig sabihin iyon ang accredited practitioners iyong mga nakaka-alam kung ano talaga ang kalibre kung ano ang mechanics ng street dancing and who have the experiences because they go all over the country. Sila po ang magiging judges natin,” Rafanan stressed in a press conference he called recently at the Atrium in CSI  in Brgy. Lucao here.

He cited that in the last three years Director Resty Fernandez had been inviting high caliber judges of the Gilon-Gilon Festival and Festivals of the North.

Barangay Pantal had been the perennial winner in three successive rows of the street dancing tilts.

But in this year’s competition, Pantal was barred due to its being the Hall of Famers and Grand Slam Champion.

The Gilon-Gilon’s committee, chaired by Punong Barangay Julie Ann Perez of Barangay Pantal, created six villages’ clusters to weed out each other.
Cluster 1 are Salisay, Mangin, Bolosan, Tebeng, Mamalingling and Tambac; Cluster 2 are Bonuan Gueset, Bonuan Binloc, and Bonuan Boquig; Cluster 3 are Calmay, Carael, Salapingao, Lomboy and Pugaro; Cluster 4  are Caranglaan, Bacayao Sur, Bacayao Norte, Mayombo and Herrero-Perez; Cluster 5 are Lasip Grande, Pogo Grande, Pogo Chico, Malued, Lasip Chico and Lucao; and Cluster 6 are Tapuac, Poblacion Oeste, Barangay 1, Barangay 2 and 3, and Barangay 4.

Cluster 1 won last Friday the Gilon-Gilon contest thus it will be this city’s bet for the Festivals of the North on April 28.

They will be pitted against Tinungbo Festival of Pugo, La Union; Talong Festival's of Villasis, Pangasinan; Dinamulag Mango Festival of Masinloc, Zambales; Pamulinawen of Laoag, Ilocos Norte; Pindangan Festival of San Fernando, La Union; Halamanan Festival of Guiguinto, Bulacan; Abel-Iloko Festival of Caoayan, Ilocos Sur; Goat Festival of Balungao, Pangasinan; and Damili Festival of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte.