Street dancing, ritual showdown expected today for Kaplag Festival

CEBU, Philippines — After the colorful celebration of the Kadaugan sa Mactan yesterday, it will be a festive mood in some parts of Cebu City today for the Kaplag Festival at Brgy. San Nicolas Proper.

The Kaplag Festival is a celebration of the discovery or “pagkakaplag” of the Sto. Niño image over 40 years after Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s defeat in Mactan.

This year’s celebration carries the theme, “Kaplag 2024, Rediscovering the bountry: Sto.Nino, a gift received and treasured".

A series of events have been lined up prior today’s celebration, which is expected to have street dancing and ritual showdown.

Contingents are from the surrounding barangays of San Nicolas Parish. This include Banay San Nicolasnon, Banay Calerohanon, Mahugyawong Pasil, Tribu Pahina Sanicolasnon, Pundok sa Nahkahiniusang Duljo Fatima, and Calamba’s Pahinungod.

The contingents are expected to showcase their own festivals with the discovery of the Sto Niño and its impact to the locals as highlight.

The Cebu City government extended an all-out support for the revival of the street dancing and ritual showdown of the festival.

Further, aside from the Archdiocesan Shrine of San Nicolas de Tolentino parish, the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño and other Roman Catholic churches in the city have also devoted masses in line with this important celebration.

Meanwhile, San Nicolas Proper barangay captain Clifford Jude Niñal said that although some streets around the San Nicolas parish will be closed to traffic, it’s going to be business as usual in Taboan. — (FREEMAN)