PIA Press Release
Saturday, January 07, 2012 Hinugyaw Festival opens with tribute to first settlersby Dani Doguiles KORONADAL CITY, Jan 7 (PIA) -- Koronadal City’s Hinugyaw Festival 2012 opened with a homage to the first settlers who came to the city before the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. At 9:00 in the morning, Friday, activities for the five-day festivities took off with a wreath laying at the martyrs’ shrine inside Koronadal Central Elementary School 1. Seventeen martyrs – residents massacred by Japanese soldiers for allegedly hiding Filipino guerrillas – were buried in the site. The opening day was capped with a theatrical presentation Handurawan by the Hinugyaw Dance Troupe inside South Cotabato Gymnasium and Cultural Center. Handurawan recounted the arrival of the first Christian settlers, their struggles against the Japanese invaders, and their heroism. “The work that these heroes have done gave us the reason to celebrate what we have achieved at present,” Mayor Peter B. Miguel said. The show had already been shown but only to select audiences. “This has to be seen by students, the youth and the general public,” he said, “dahil sabi nga, ang mga taong hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggagalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan.” The show should give the audience “a deeper understanding of our heritage, a deeper meaning of what we are and where we’re heading to,” he added. On January 10, 2012, Koronadal City turns 72. It was created by virtue of Municipal Council Resolution No. 32 series of 1948. Other important activities lined-up for the five-day celebration include: sports competitions (motocross, practical shooting, mountain biking, and golf), Search for Lakambini ng Koronadal, farmers’ festival, foam party and disco sa kalye, and drumline competition. This year, the city LGU reinvents its traditional streetdancing competition with Piyesta Korona (Festival of Crowns), which Mayor Miguel described as a mix between traditional streetdancing and mardi gras that feature different designs of crowns. As in the previous years, the festival will end with a grand fireworks display at 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday. (PIA-12) | 
