Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Fly or ply: Jagna’s air spaces, streets to celebrate "calamay"


TAGBILARAN CITY, April 18, (PIA) --Whether it is flying or plying, Jagna town is sure making the promotion for its 2nd Calamay Festival is fun, memorable and sweet.

In its home-cooked Calamay Festival this April 29-30, Jagna skies would be embellished with calamay-themed kites (tabanog) while on its streets, public utility trikes and habal-habals ply with the same there.

And there is a calamay tasting feasting for everyone, said town information officer Amiela Mai Singco-Balaba

While most towns of Bohol own a kite tradition, kite flying in Jagna has since been a thing of the past younger generations could not easily pick. The lure of indoor and computer games is fast becoming all too popular here.
Now, as an act of revival, the town picks the calamay as an inspiration for the kites that would take the airspaces over the town on April 29.

The event organizers want a competing kite to be airborne for a minimum of five minutes, on a minimum of 10 feet line and flying at a minimum positive flight angle of 10 degrees, according to the information officer.

And for that, Jagna is giving P3,000, P2,000 and P1,000 for the top winners while non winning entries could still pick a P500 consolation prize, she added.

As to the kite flying criteria, Balaba said judging would be based on originality of concept pertaining to the theme "Calamay sa Jagna," flight performance, design and construction.

Judges would also be looking at the best use of color, flight performance and dimensional shape, Balaba said.

More than that, the kite’s impressiveness or its ability to attract and capture audience's attention, would also be rated.

The organizers however said only 10 entries would be accepted at the Municipal Engineering Office, through Bertoldo Cagas Jr.

And while only 10 entries are accepted, deadline for the submission of entries is set April 25, so the organizers accept entries on a first come-first served basis.

On the other hand, town pedicabs and habal-habal would be plying the town streets in a motorcade, as the judges would be picking the Best calamay theme decorated trike, Balaba added.

Last year, the colorful motorcade which featured the calamay-themed pedicabs took the tourists fancy that phone cameras snapping was a new normal.

Jagna, Bohol's gateway to Mindanao has since been the conduit port for local tourists from Mindanao, entering Bohol.

With habal-habals, pedicabs and motorelas still the main public utility transport systems, these already colorful conveyance pick on a new decoration to drumbeat the Calamay Festival, bank on the sticky sweet bread spread for tourist pasalubong and herald the month-long fiesta, the town readies in May.

Other than that, calamay tasting is also offered on the 29th. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)

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