Magpale studying financial aid for Cebu Pop Music Festival

CEBU, Philippines - Acting Governor Agnes Magpale is still studying if the Province of Cebu could give financial assistance to the 33rd Cebu Pop Music Festival to be held on January 18, 2013 at the Cebu Coliseum.

Cebu Arts Foundation, Inc. chairman, Rep. Eduardo Gullas, sent a request to Magpale for financial assistance which the provincial government has been extending since the past years.

Instead of denying the request outright, Magpale said she is looking for means to give some amount, not exactly what Gullas is asking for.

“Mohatag ta bisan gamay lang. (We will give even if just a little.)” Magpale said.

Magpale said that she still has to confer with acting provincial treasurer Manny Guial if there are available funds.

In his letter, Gullas asked Magpale the amount of P500,000, the amount which suspended Governor Gwendolyn Garcia gave last year.

In the previous years, Gullas has been requesting the Province of Cebu the amount of P300,000 until Garcia increased the amount to P500,000 in 2011, saying that the amount has been regularly given for a long time.In his letter, Gullas said that the donation will surely help the foundation defray its production expenses.

The activity, conceived in 1980, is now widely embraced by the Cebuano community. It is held on the Friday before the Sinulog grand parade.  CAFI stages the Cebu Pop Music Festival, a contest of original Cebuano song writing conceived and designed to show honor and reverence to the Santo Niño.

Twelve Cebuano songs of life and love will compete in the grand finals of this year’s activity.  The 12 finalists were chosen from 113 entries submitted by song writers all over the country.

The Cebu Pop Music Festival, a brainchild of the Cebu Arts Foundation, Inc. with Rep. Eduardo Gullas as president, has given songwriters and interpreters the opportunity to flourish in the music industry, including Chad Borja, Sheryn Regis, Ana Fegi, Eva Santos, Raki Vega and Vina Morales.

 Prizes at stake are P150,000 for the grand champion; P100,000 for the 2nd place; P50,000 for the 3rd place; P10,000 for the best interpreter and P15,000 each for all finalists.

Tickets are priced at P300 for ringside, P200 for lower box, P100 for upper box, and P50 for general admission.

The tickets are available at the main campus of the University of the Visayas. Interested parties may call (032) 2532752 and 2555741. —MIT (FREEMAN)