A
Festivity for Mother Nature....come and join this celebration for a worthy
cause. Be counted and at the same time, learn and enjoy!
Makati
City will hold this year’s Caracol Festival tomorrow, Sunday, February
25 at the Globe Circuit Events Groundsin Barangay Carmona, starting
at 4pm, according to the city Museum and Cultural Affairs Office (MCAO).
Makati
Mayor Abby Binay urged the public to come and take part in the
revelry which highlights the beauty of natureand the importance of
conserving and protecting our natural resources.
Mayor
Abby said...
Caracol, now
on its 32nd year, is a significant annual event for
Makati. It serves as a constant reminder to our people, especially the
young ones, that despite our highly urbanized landscape, we must strive to take
care of the environment because our lives and our future depend on it.
The
mayor emphasized that even as the city government has resolved to embrace
technology and has taken major steps towards a “digital Makati”, it remains
firmly grounded on its commitment to
remain at the forefront of global efforts to promote sustainable and highly
resilient communities.
Mayor
Abby added:
Caracol
Festival is not a mere display of merriment, but an effective tool to
heighten public awareness on the urgency of getting our acts together to heal
the earth, and to motivate residents and visitors alike into taking an active
role in building a healthy and sustainable environment.
A
Spanish term for snail, Caracol alludes to the shell people use
as shields to life’s harsh realities. During the festival, revelers are
encouraged to discard their “shells” and join in the merrymaking and to rejoice
in the bounty of Mother Earth.
Mayor
Abby also thanked the city’s constant partners in the private sector through
the years for consistently supporting the event, namely, Ayala Land,
Circuit Makati, Manila Bulletin, and Make it Makati.
The MCAO has
confirmed that the festival will start with a parade of participants, barangay
officials and residents, city employees, private sector representatives, senior
citizens, and students at 4pm, which will be followed by a dance competition.
This
year’s highlight will be a dance competition wherein participants are
expected to showcase a creative interpretation of different environmental
issues.
The
competition is divided into three clusters: elementary schools, high
schools, and Barangays. For each group, some 30-40 members, excluding musicians
and props men, will be performing. For this year, three elementary schools will
give their visual interpretation of Endangered Species and dance to
the tune of retro or pop, namely, Pitogo Elementary School, Nicanor Garcia Elementary
School, and San Antonio Village Elementary School.
Meanwhile, high
school students from San Antonio National High School, Makati Science High
School and Pitogo High School will perform either Waltz or ballet, clad in
flower or insect-inspired costumes. On the other hand, there will besix groups
of performers from the Barangays who will imitate marine life while ballroom
dancing.
Prizes
at stake for each category are as follows: First Place, P150,000 cash prize;
Second Place, P125,000; and Third Place, P100,000. The
overall champion will receive P150,000 cash prize.
Special
awards will also be given away for Best in Costume and Best in
Choreography, with a P50,000-cash prize for each award.
Contestants
will be judged according to appearance, creativity in putting the spirit
of the festival into performance, originality of design, and actual dance
routine performance.
During
the parade, judges will choose three winners for Best in Costume, with
P50,000 cash prize for first place, P40,000 for second place, and P30,000 for
third place.
A
separate competition will also be held among professional photographers who
will successfully publish their best shots in print media. The Best Photo will
win a cash prize of P25,000, while the first and second runners-up will receive
P15,000 and P10,000, respectively.
The
Caracol Festival is the official festival of Makati City. It is observed
every last Sunday of February.
The original concept of the
festival was the presentation of three major festivals of the country. In
its first eight years, Metro Manila talent groups of Sinulog, Dinagyang and Ati-Atihan were
staged in one major event competing for awards. In 1993, to support the global
call for the preservation and conservation of our natural resources, a new
theme was created and evolved into today’s festivity which mirrors the beauty
and bounty of Mother Nature.
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