By Jennifer Catan-Tilos

Dumaguete City (11 October) -- The colorful spectacle of Oriental Negros' unique BUGLASAN festival of festivals will formally kick off on Friday, October 13, 2006 with a Mass and opening of the different local government units and corporate booths along with an array of mini restaurants at 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon at the Capitol Area, this city.

At 8pm of the same day, the Organization of Cultural Artists of Special Events in Oriental Negros (OCASEON) will perform as an opening salvo with grand fireworks at Freedom Park Stage, Capitol area.

This year's Buglasan Festival annual celebration banners the theme, "Buglasan: Intensifying Oriental Negros Multi-Sectoral Tourism Development Initiatives" which showcases some 78 special events and performances.

This include showdown and streetdancing, rodeo and horse show competition, lutong garbo, fireworks display, dance and singing competition among others.

The first and one of its kind in the country, Buglasan festival brings together the best contingents of the province's more than ten established festivals for a unified celebration and present its distinctive indigenous elements and legendary stories.

The Buglasan showdown and streetdancing represents the local fiestas in the municipalities and affords an opportunity for the public to witness the colorful activities in one place at one time which will be routed along Dumaguete's main thoroughfares and presentation per contingent at the Lamberto Macial Ssports and Cultural Center.

The celebration will stretch for 17 days from October 13 to 29 with a lot of exciting special events, sports and trade fairs that enliven the tourism industry of the province. Expected influx of local, national as well as foreign tourists will bring in cash flow and economic surge during the Buglasan period.

The Administration is working doubly hard to make the Philippines more competitive in doing business and sustain the confidence of the business community.