PANDAN FESTIVAL IS FON CHAMP

DAGUPAN CITY – Pandan Festival of Mapandan, Pangasinan was Festivals of the North (FON) big winner in the 2017 Bangus Festival when it clinched the championship title, aside from sweeping  all the minor awards against other nine other festival champions in different parts of Luzon. 

FON CHAMP IS PANDAN FESTIVAL - Pandan Festival of Mapandan, Pangasinan wins Festivals of the
 North (FON) on April 28 in the 2017 Bangus Festival. It also swept all the minor awards against
other nine other festival champions in different parts of Luzon. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

Aside from bringing home the title as the 2017 Festivals of the North Champ, judges from the National Commission of Culture and Arts also declared Pandan Festival as Best in Costume, Best in Props and Best in Street Dancing.

Three consecutive FON champion Bangus Festival was first runner-up; Tinugbo Festival of Pugo, La Union was second runer-up; Basi Festival of Naguilian, La Union, 3rd runner-up; Dinamulag-Mango Festival of Iba, Zambales, 4th runner-up; and Pamulinawen Festival of Laoag Ilocos Norte; Halamanan Festival of Guiguinto, Bulacan; and Talong Festival of Villasis, Pangasinan, 5th runners-up.

Pandan Festival brought home a cash prize of P400,000; Bangus Festival, P200,000; Tinugbo Festival, P80,000; Basi Festival, P60,000; Dinamulag-Mango Festival, P50,000; and the 5th runners-up received P10,000 each.

Pandan Festival also received P20,000 for each of the minor awards it won.

Members of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) led by FON event chair and PCL national president Councilor Maybelyn Dela Cruz Fernandez along with Parañaque City Councilor Vandolph Quizon;  Councilor Myra Paz Valderrosa of Zamboanga City, a sister city of Dagupan; Dagupan City Councilors Joey Tamayo and Marvin Fabia together with Liga ng mga Barangay president Marcelino Fernandez, 4th District Congressman Christopher De Venecia and Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, and also 2017 Bangus Festival executive chairman Epee Rafanan handed the awards and prizes to the winners.

Mayor Belen in her message expressed her gratitude to the contingents for joining this year’s FON, which is a conglomeration of the best and happiest festivals in the North, as she congratulated all the winners.

“Ito ay isang patunay na iisa ang ating damdamin at kaisipan dito sa Region 1 na maging masaya at makabuluhan ang ating pamumuhay sa pamamagitan ng mga street dancing competitions, tulad ng Festivals of the North,” said Fernandez.  (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/April 29, 2017)