Consolacion celebrates Sarok Festival

CEBU - The Municipality of Consolacion, in time with its fiesta celebration in honor of its Patron Saint Senior San Narciso, held the Sarok Festival, a festival showcasing the sarok and its contribution to the locality.

The Sarok Festival 2008 was participated by different elementary schools and high schools of different barangays. There were 13 contingents that competed in colorful, creative and attractive props and costumes.

This year’s theme was “One path, one passion, one Consolacion” was depicted in a dance presentation.

Dancers used the sarok, a native wide-brimmed hat usually made of bamboo strips and dried leaves of banana and commonly used by farmers in rural areas for protection from the rain and heat of the sun. Presentations either showed the different use of the sarok or portrayed the life of Consolacion residents.

Contingents were judged according to the creativity of the presentation, costumes and concept, relevance of the presentation to the theme and the overall impact of the performance. Special awards were given to participants with the best sarok and best choreography.

Each participating school was given P20,000 subsidy by the local government of Consolacion. But the amount did not stop the participants from exerting efforts to make their presentation grand. There were participating schools which spent hundreds of thousands for the event.

Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob Sr. said the Sarok festival is held every year to tell the people about the culture of Consolacion. After World War II, he said Consolacionanons began to produce the sarok and supply it locally as well as to other municipalities.

Now, some local manufacturers are already exporting it to other countries.

Gungob said the festival aims to revive the culture at the same time promote sarok production to exporters. Not so long ago, sarok-making used to be the main livelihood of town folks especially those living in barangay Tulotulo.

The Sarok Festival used to be held every 14th day of February which is the founding day of the town. Sarok Festival 2008 overall chairwoman Analee Gungob said it was the first time that the festival has become part of the fiesta celebration to make the fiesta grander at the same time to welcome the balikbayans of the town.

Mayor Gungob said that Sarok Festival is also a way of showing their support to the efforts of the provincial government in the promotion of tourism in the province. Further, he said that they decided to hold it in Cansaga Bay, the new government center of Consolacion, to inform the people that the place is where the new municipal hall will be built soon.

He said that the 207 hectare-reclaimed land in Cansaga Bay is where the new municipal hall worth P150 million will be built starting next year. Soon, a new city will rise in the then swampy area said the mayor.

The first Sarok Festival was held in 1996 after the then councilor, now Mayor Avelino Gungob sponsored for the passage of a resolution during the year 1995, mandating that in commemoration to the early settler’s livelihood occupation, which is the Sarok Weaving activity, the Founding Anniversary of the Municipality of Consolacion shall be celebrated and shall be called the Sarok Festival Celebration.

The Festival ended with a fireworks display. — Jessica Ann Pareja/BRP (THE FREEMAN)