Kaplag Buwad Festival set this Saturday

CEBU, Philippines - The Archdiocese of San Nicolas Parish De Tolentino and Barangay San Nicolas will be featuring their products in a series of activities for the celebration of the 5th “Kaplag Buwad Festival” which will be held on Saturday in Barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City.

According to Monsignor Raul Go of San Nicolas Parish, the “Kaplag Buwad Festival” is a celebration of a historical event, faith and culture. Kaplag is a festivity to celebrate the finding of the image of Señor Sto. Niño, 40 years after the death of Ferdinand Magellan.

He said it is also a thanksgiving through dances for the blessings of their dried fish (buwad) industry.

The event would start with a fluvial parade at 6 a.m, from Ludo to Pasil Fish Market. It will be followed by the reenactment of Magellan and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi’s coming to Cebu.

The street dance and ritual dance is the highlight of the celebration with 12 contingents from different sitios of San Nicolas participating in the Sinulog street dancing on Saturday afternoon and the ritual dance in the evening after the Mass.

San Nicolas Barangay Captain Boy Desamparado said that the barangay gave a P35 thousand budget divided among the 12 contingents for their costumes and props.

One of the barangay’s landmark is “Tabo-an,” which is known for its dried fish industry. As thanksgiving to Señor Sto. Niño for the blessings they received, there will be a 10 percent discount on all dried fish products from April 27 to 28, and a free taste of dried fish products with free hanging rice locally known as puso.

Pasil Fish Market vendors will also offer a dance to Señor Sto. Niño and will feature an eat-all-you-can fish meal after the dance parade. San Nicolas is also famous for the Pasil Fish Market.

A parade of over 40 coaches locally known as “tartanillas” will also be carrying different saints from various chapels in San Nicolas on Saturday at 3 p.m. People from San Nicolas consider the coaches as the vehicle for blessings.

Chief Inspector Noel Lomente, San Nicolas Police Chief, said they are ready with their security plans for the event with more than 60 police officers designated in different areas just two blocks from each post.

Based on last year’s celebration, they also planned to reroute the traffic covering only one block of the road to avoid congestion. — (FREEMAN)