2-12-12! Iriga City gears up for 2012 Tinagba-Gayon Bicol Festival of Festivals; hosts International Davis Cup Tennis Tournament
The local government of Iriga City in Camarines Sur is hosting anew the much-anticipated TinagbaGayon Bicol Festival of Festivals. The Tinagba-Gayon is a Department of Tourism Region V program designed to promote the culture of the Bicolaños and enhance tourism in the region.
Set to kick off on February 12, 2012, it will gather in one colorful celebration the best festivals in the cities of Legazpi, Naga, Ligao and Tabaco, the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur and Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon.
Winning the bid to host Tinagba-Gayon for the second year in a row, Iriga’s dynamic and young mayor, Madelaine Alfelor-Gazmen, told The Sunday Times Magazine that they have pulled out all the stops in organizing the Bicolano tradition.
“We are expecting some 50,000 to 60,000 festival participants and visitors to descend upon Iriga City for the Tinagba-Gayon,” Gazmen proudly announced at a press briefing on November 15 at Sir Boy’s Food Republique in Quezon City. “One of the most exciting activities lined up during the festival is the International Davis Cup Tennis Tournament on February 10, which will definitely lure tennis fans to our city.”
The tournament will pit the Philippines against Pacific Oceana Group in matches spread across two days, and culminating on the opening of the Tinagba-Gayon. Leading the Philippine Team are Cecil Mamiit, Southeast Asian Games five-time gold medalist; Filipino-American Treat Conrad Huey of ATP’s top 60 players; Jeson Patrombon, Junior Australian quarter finalist and Junior world Top 10 player; Ruben Gonzales, ATP world-trained singles and doubles player; and Jhonny Arcilla, PCA five times Open Champion.
Other events lined up during the celebration are: The Extreme Bike Challenge on February 5, which will take bikers on more than 30 kilometers of rolling terrains; the Tourism Expo, which will give visitors a mini-tour of the entire Bicol Region via replicas of its famous sites at the local Rizal Park (yes, the Mayon Volcano included!); the inauguration of the Eco-Adventure Park, which will feature a Zip line, ATV and many other thrilling rides and treks; the Youth Congress Youth, which will bring personalities like Francis Kong, Juana Change and Ely Buendia’s Pupil in values formation talks and performances on Feburary 8; and the Mayor’s Night of celebration.
“A grand fireworks display will cap the week-long festival, a fitting finale to such a diverse lineup of grand activities,” Gazmen added.
Moreover, the opening day of Tinagba-Gayon will feature a morning parade of floats designed by the clustered 36 barangays of Iriga, which will be transformed into fully-mechanized and electrically operated units in the evening, comparable to Disney’s breathtaking Fantillusion Parade.
Gazmen is confident that the 2012 Tinagba-Gayon will further push the popularity of Camarines Sur as a prime tourist destination worldwide, to be known not only as a haven for extreme sports enthusiasts but a province rich in culture and tradition.
“This is my last term as mayor of Iriga City, which is why my team and I working very hard to make the festival as spectacular as can be,” she related. “I want to leave my office certain that we have helped truly place Iriga City and Camarines Sur on the map, and continually draw local and foreign tourists to our beautiful province.”
She is also grateful for the voluntary and invaluable support of the different socio-civic organizations, academic institutions, religious groups, and concerned citizens of Iriga, who are all making distinct contributions to make Bicol’s “festivals of festivals” something for the books.
“I guarantee, the Tinagba-Gayon will make our beloved city of Iriga ‘Truly Irresistible’ as our slogan goes,” she concluded.
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