The Kaamulan 2009 Ethnic Street Dancing competition, one of the highlights of the 22-day celebration is slated on Saturday, March 7, according to the Kaamulan 2009 calendar of activities.
Organizers announced this week Tourism Sec. Ace Durano is the guest of honor of the street dancing competition.
The other contingents include the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia and those coming from the towns of Cabanglasan, Kalilangan, Malitbog and Quezon.
Bukidnon's 20 towns and two cities are divided into three sets, with each set of seven or eight LGUs to compete year after the other.
The Kaamulan street dancing competition has become a traditional highlight of the annual festival which was started in 1977.
Street dancers, including some members of the province’s seven hill tribes, will perform in several street presentation points along Malaybalay City’s Fortich Street up to the Capitol Grounds where they have a final ground presentation.
Each contingent is usually allowed at least 70 to 200 performers, including those handling instruments.
The street dancing competition is the festival’s biggest day-time crowd drawer attracting tourists from other cities and provinces and abroad.
Prizes are at stake for the grand winners of the street dancing, an event marred in the past by questions on authenticity.
But organizers have recently included in the mechanics the involvement of lumads in each contingent.
A week in the run-up for the competition, police announced they have augmented their forces with a hundred more from the PNP regional headquarters in Cagayan de Oro.
Police Supt. Jerry Linsagan told this reporter the augmentation doubles the police personnel assigned to guard the remaining days of the competition from March 6 to 10.
Sen. Loren Legarda will speak at the 92nd Foundation anniversary of the province on March 10, the culminating activity of the annual festival. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews)
