Buglasan Parade

In Dumaguete City, Philippines, the Buglasan Festival is celebrated every year at around this time. Banners and streamers gaily deck the lamp posts of Dumaguete City announcing the Buglasan Festival and the main activities that make it a must-see affair. The Philippines is well-known for the Festivals and Fiestas that seem to happen all year long and travellers and tourists have come to enjoy these events.

Trying to get to the downtown area yesterday was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The Buglasan Parade was scheduled for the afternoon and participants were lined up on the streets leading up to the downtown area where the parade was going to take place. Large drums on wheels, boys and girls dressed up in costumes that could only be dreamed up by gay designers, streamers and banners decked the streets like a surreal movie scene. Trying to get across to the Boulevard where I wanted to go, as Bethel Guest House was my destination, was near impossible and it was infinitely easier to turn around and retrace my route.

Dumaguete tries to outdo herself every year in putting up the best Buglasan Festival and it is indeed a treat to residents and visitors alike. There might be detractors and critics but who cares? the public wants bread and circuses and there are plenty of those at the Freedom Park. It seems to me that festivals are a part of a community's life. Way back when there was some criticism that Filipinos seem to be spending so much on Fiestas which only last a couple of days while struggling on ginamos the whole year through. A little bit of controversy was raised but nobody cared. Fiestas are fun! Now it seems that one fiesta is not enough. Cities and municipalities start new fiestas and everybody seems to love them. It is a whole new reason to go to another area and enjoy. C'est la vie.

Ching Recommends visiting Alexander's Directory.

Buglasan Festival starts on Oct. 13, 2006

It is Buglasan time once again and the province of Negros Oriental is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring its success. As in previous years, this celebration has attracted the participation of the municipalities or local government units (LCU's) of Negros Oriental. Display booths will showcase the best that Negros Oriental and Dumaguete City has to offer while parades and presentations will ensure that the population is properly entertained. Since its start seven years ago, the Buglasan has consistently earned the admiration of those who attended it and this year Gov. George Arnaiz promises to make this year's event even more spectucular than the previoius ones, having prepared a hefty budget of Php 4.5 M. It is not difficult to get sponsors and donations for this event considering the great track record of the Buglasan celebrations past.

Perhaps it is appropriate to explain the etymology of this term Buglasan. Buglas is a kind of reed that was greatly abundant in the Province of Negros Oriental prompting it to be the traditional name of the province in times past. This event helps to revive and keep fresh in the minds of people the cultural heritage of Negros Oriental Province.

Ching Recommends visiting Dumaguete, Der's, Ira-2's Directories.