Five barangays and six schools in Dumaguete City are participating in this year’s Santacruzan on Sept. 16 as a stand alone festival in this capital city.
City Tourism Officer Jacqueline Veloso-Antonio said 11 contingents will see action during the Pakighimamat to be held at Rizal Boulevard, followed by a street dancing competition at 3 in the afternoon, while a showdown will start at 5:30 in the afternoon at Quezon Park.
The 11 contingents are from barangays Junob, Looc, Banilad, Daro and Cantil-e; and Asian College, Piapi High School, Dumaguete City High School, Junob National High School, Metro Dumaguete College, and Silliman University.
The City will provide each contestant with seed money of P120,000 to cover for their costumes and other requirements except food.
This year’s theme Pulang Yuta will revolve around the origins of Dumaguete, which dates back many centuries B.C. and from the 11th century A.D.
During that time, anthropological diggings were uncovered to include decorated earthenware pottery which were considered as prestige items in the earliest societies, and which were used as markers for goods exchange.
The distribution then of decorated earthenware pottery was said to be controlled by chieftains, and circulated to lesser members of the elite class, extending to the commoners.
Ownership of the items, as markers of elite status, thus translated to one’s social identity, and were also considered as political valuables used to form and maintain alliances.
Fashioned from yuta, clay and earth, the early people of Dumaguete made their first mark in history, signified their identity, and sealed communal bonds.
According to Antonio, even up present times, there are areas in Dumaguete where clay remains reddish in color. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
