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Cebu

Kuyayang Festival

Kuyayang Festival, previously Pintos Festival, is a cultural and religious festival in Bogo City, Cebu, Philippines every May 26. Its schedule coincides with the feast of the city’s patron, St. Vincent Ferrer.

Kuyayang Festival is one of the participants in the annual Pasigarbo sa Sugbo every August.

History of Kuyayang Festival

The original annual celebration of the town was Kuyayang Festival first conducted in the 1960s. It was replaced by Pintos Festival beginning in 2008 in time for the provincial government’s tourism initiative, and it was put on hold during the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020. Then, the Kuyayang Festival was revived in 2023.

Pintos Festival was aimed to pay homage to agriculture as Bogo City is a major producer of corn and sugarcane. It was also reflected by its dance choreography that consisted of movements reflecting pugas (planting or sowing) and sanggi (harvesting). The fest was also a celebration of thanksgiving for abundant harvest. Its name comes from pintos, a native delicacy of the town that is likened to tamales.

Pintos is made with corn kernels that is ground to fine, moist bits by rubbing an ear of young sweet corn against a grater. It is mixed with coconut milk or milk, butter or margarine, and sugar. The mixture is scooped and transferred to a corn husk, which is then folded into triangular shape. Finally, it is steamed until cooked.

Pintos is rich, sweet, and sticky. The corn husk as it gets cooked also infuses the delicacy with rich aroma. It is best served hot and fresh from the steam. Vendors also sell the delicacy as pasalubong.

When national health protocols from Covid-19 pandemic were eased and public gathering began to be permitted, the city government re-launched the yearly cultural festival. However, instead of re-staging Pintos Festival, they replaced it with Kuyayang Festival in 2023.

Kuyayang Festival comes from kuyayang, a traditional dance for courtship. Even before Pintos Festival was launched, the people of Bogo City were well-versed with the steps of kuyayang and the annual fiesta was called Kuyayang Festival.

With a budget between three to four million pesos, Kuyayang Festival and the refocusing of kuyayang dance as a major event in the city’s annual celebration took place during the mayoral incumbency of Jose Martinez in May 2023 to inspire the youth about the traditional way of courting someone.

The dance contingents and participants for the float parade were given a subsidy from the local government. Winners of the competitions also won cash prizes.

Devotion to St. Vincent Ferrer

Kuyayang Festival is also an expression of devotion to St. Vincent Ferrer which was introduced with the arrival of Christianity during Spanish times.

Augustinian missionaries founded a church as a visita of Bantayan Parish and was dedicated to the patronage of St. Vincent Ferrer. It seceded its matriz and became a parish on May 31, 1850. The first parish priest was Fr. Jaime Micalot who was appointed to the role by the Bishop of Cebu.

An early church was constructed from cogon and wood, while its walls were made of tabique pampango. It is no longer in existence today after it was destroyed by fire. A new church was built in the town plaza.

The present-day church was built in the 20th century. Church-building began on August 22, 1976 when the cornerstone was laid by Msgr. Pedro R. Dean, D.D. The project was stopped for a period between December 1977 and December 1978. Then it was consecrated by Archbishop Julio Cardinal Rosales on May 27, 1981.

It was declared an archdiocesan shrine in 2006.

Kuyayang Festival Activities

Activities for the festival includes sports tournament (a basketball tourney starts as early as March), beauty pageants (Ginoong Bogo, Miss Bogo), grand ritual showdown, street dance competitions, grand parade, float competition, music festival, live band, variety shows, cultural programs, workshops, etc.

How to reach Bogo City, Cebu

Take a ride to North Bus Terminal and the bus going north to Bogo City. The trip takes about three to four hours of land travel.

References

Kuyayang Festival Summary

NameKuyayang Festival
ChurchArchdiocesan Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer
Contact0906 424 3492
CountryPhilippines
DateMay 26
Emailcityofbogo.cebu@gmail.com
Facebookwww.facebook.com
LocationBogo City, Cebu
OrganizerCity Government of Bogo
PatronSt. Vincent Ferrer
ReligionRoman Catholic
Websitecityofbogocebu.gov.ph