Caracol Performers from Cluster 6 (Photo credits to FRINGE 2018)

Makati City held this year’s Caracol Festival on Sunday, February 25 at the Globe Circuit Events Grounds in Barangay Carmona, which started at 4pm, according to the city Museum and Cultural Affairs Office (MCAO).

Makati Mayor Abby Binay urged the public to come and take part in the revelry which highlights the beauty of nature and the importance of conserving and protecting our natural resources.

“Caracol, now on its 32nd year, is a significant annual event for Makati. It serves as a constant reminder to our people, especially the young ones, that despite our highly urbanized landscape, we must strive to take care of the environment because our lives and our future depend on it,” Mayor Abby said.

The mayor emphasized that even as the city government has resolved to embrace technology and has taken major steps towards a “digital Makati”, it remains firmly grounded on its commitment to remain at the forefront of global efforts to promote sustainable and highly resilient communities.

“Caracol Festival is not a mere display of merriment, but an effective tool to heighten public awareness on the urgency of getting our acts together to heal the earth, and to motivate residents and visitors alike into taking an active role in building a healthy and sustainable environment,” Mayor Abby said.

Each cluster performed according to the theme of saving Marine Life.

A Spanish term for snail, Caracol alludes to the shell people use as shields to life’s harsh realities. During the festival, revelers are encouraged to discard their “shells” and join in the merrymaking and to rejoice in the bounty of Mother Earth.

Mayor Abby also thanked the city’s constant partners in the private sector through the years for consistently supporting the event, namely, Ayala Land, Circuit Makati, Manila Bulletin, and Make it Makati.

The festival started with a parade of participants, barangay officials and residents, city employees, private sector representatives, senior citizens, and students at 4pm, followed by a dance competition.

This year’s highlight was a dance competition wherein participants were expected to showcase a creative interpretation of different environmental issues.

The competition was divided into three clusters: elementary schools, high schools, and Barangays. For each group, some 30-40 members, excluding musicians and props men, will be performing. For this year, three elementary schools will give their visual interpretation of Endangered Species and dance to the tune of retro or pop, namely, Pitogo Elementary School, Nicanor Garcia Elementary School, and San Antonio Village Elementary School.

Barangay Officials representing their respective clusters.

Meanwhile, high school students from San Antonio National High School, Makati Science High School and Pitogo High School performed Waltz or ballet, clad in flower or insect-inspired costumes. On the other hand, six groups of performers from the Barangays imitated marine life while ballroom dancing.

Prizes at stake for each category were as follows: First Place, P150,000 cash prize; Second Place, P125,000; and Third Place, P100,000.

The overall champion received P150,000 cash prize.

Special awards was also given away for Best in Costume and Best in Choreography, with a P50,000-cash prize for each award.

Contestants were judged according to appearance, creativity in putting the spirit of the festival into performance, originality of design, and actual dance routine performance.

During the parade, judges chose three winners for Best in Costume, with P50,000 cash prize for first place, P40,000 for second place, and P30,000 for third place.

A separate competition was also held among professional photographers who will successfully publish their best shots in print media. The Best Photo will win a cash prize of P25,000, while the first and second runners-up will receive P15,000 and P10,000, respectively.

The Caracol Festival is the official festival of Makati City. It is observed every last Sunday of February.

The original concept of the festival was the presentation of three major festivals of the country. In its first eight years, Metro Manila talent groups of Sinulog, Dinagyang and Ati-Atihan were staged in one major event competing for awards. In 1993, to support the global call for the preservation and conservation of our natural resources, a new theme was created and evolved into today’s festivity which mirrors the beauty and bounty of Mother Nature.

The 32nd Caracol Festival held last Sunday was highlighted by a dance competition that showcased different environmental issues. Out of 12 competing groups, Pitogo High School emerged as the Over-all Winner.



Other winning teams include:

Elementary Category:

1st Prize: Nicanor Garcia Elementary School

2nd Prize: Pitogo Elementary School

3rd Prize: San Antonio Village Elementary School

High School Category:

1st Prize: Pitogo High School

2nd Prize: San Antonio National High School

3rd Prize: Makati Science High School         

          

Barangay Category:

1st Prize: Barangay Cluster 1 (Composed of Barangays Bel-Air, Dasmarińas, Forbes Park, Magallanes, San Lorenzo, Urdaneta)

2nd Prize: Barangay Cluster 6 (Composed of Barangays Cembo, Guadalupe Viejo, Northside, West Rembo)

3rd Prize: Barangay Cluster 3 (Composed of Barangays Carmona, Kasilawan, Olympia, Poblacion, Sta. Cruz, Tejeros, Valenzuela)




Among youth groups awarded Best in Costume were:

1st Prize: Group 5 (Riqueza Oceanica)

2nd Prize: Group 2 (Sicateka Tribe)

3rd Prize: Group 4 (Wild Creatures)



Barangay Cluster 2 (Composed of Bangkal, La Paz, Palanan, Pio del Pilar, San Antonio, San Isidro, Singkamas) won the Best in Costume Award.

Barangay Cluster 3 (Composed of Carmona, Kasilawan, Olympia, Poblacion, Sta. Cruz, Tejeros, and Valenzuela) won Best in Choreography.



*Source MCAO

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