20th Rodeo Masbateño boosts Bicol tourism

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – At least 100 heads of cattle were released into the streets of Masbate City yesterday and the challenge for the local cowboys was to safely herd them back to their corral.

The cattle herding event is considered one of the highlights of the 20th Rodeo Masbateño festival, which kicked off on Tuesday with a parade watched by some 5,000 local and foreign visitors.

Thirty-two teams of students and professionals, or at least 300 horse riders, are taking part in the rodeo challenges.

Judge Manuel Sese, Rodeo Masbateño’s overall in-charge, said the participants come from different regions, including the Xavier University team from Cagayan de Oro City, which is the back-to-back champion of the rodeo cattle and non-cattle events.

Sese said the rodeo national finals included bull whipping, load carrying, cattle wrestling on foot, cattle wrestling from horseback, cattle lassoing from horseback, “carambola” for two and four persons, casting down, bull riding, cattle horse team penning, street barn dance, and a beef cooking contest for young chefs.

Sese said he started the Rodeo Masbateño in 1994 to promote tourism. “We are very pleased that more teams participated in the rodeo festival this year and more visitors came to Masbate to watch this event. And political leaders from different camps came to support and participated in the event. I could see that my original objectives are now being realized,” Sese told The STAR.

Maria Ravanilla, the Department of Tourism’s Bicol director, said Rodeo Masbateño is boosting the region’s tourism industry. “Because of Rodeo Masbateño, more tourists are expected to visit Masbate and other parts of Bicol,” she said.

To date, only Rodeo Masbateño and the Peñafrancia Festival are considered the only national festivals of Bicol, she added.