ON SANGHIYANG FESTIVAL

SANGHIYANG FESTIVAL
Wellness is the New Alfonso
(My unsolicited review and suggestions)

The Alfonso Eco-Tourism Development Management, Inc. (AETDM) in cooperation with the Municipal Government of Alfonso, Cavite deserves a Grand Salute for valorously introducing a welcome change to a small lethargically slumbering little town by ’spearheading, rebranding and launching of Wellness is the New Alfonso’.

In connection with this a new Festival is born: The Sanghiyang Festival which evolves from a centuries old ritual of Thanksgiving believed to emanate from the thanksgiving ritual performed by the family of Noah after they were saved from the Universal Deluge. This concept of converting Sanghiyang, the thanksgiving ritual, into a state of wellness is a brilliant idea except that it somehow jeopardizes one of Alfonso’s historical heritages.

The original thanksgiving ritual (sanghiyang) is performed during the month of January to acknowledge all the gifts, graces and benefits that God showers the Alfonsinos.To make the Festival historically relevant I suggest, if it is possible, to do it during the month of January and include a Grand Sanghiyang complete with all the trimmings of the original with the symbolic offerings of all the Baranggays and interested families plus the participation of all available “magsasanghiyangs”. It would be a novel idea to juxtapose Food Festival and Grand Sanghiyang for a powerful message of wellness and thanksgiving.

While Caracol and Rigodon are both beautiful and colorful dances they are not part of Alfonso’s culture. Caracol is a seashore festival of the lowlands while Rigodon is a welcome dance of the Aristocrats. They may not be included next time as there are many dances of the tagalog region more appropriate for Alfonso like ‘Maligayang Pagdating’.

I did not have a chance to observe all the presentations but the “Parada ng Kaganapan” was the most relevant as it was a display of Alfonso’s beauties
showing local products together with their handsome counterparts.

Because Alfonso is considered the Flower Center of Cavite I think it would be wise to invite all the cut flower farms in town to put up a garden show for the whole month of January as they also share more participation. It is not too much to require all public vehicles to hang simple flower arrangement during the festival week to be provided by the organizers. Establishments should also be requested to put up floral decorations.

In spite of the noise, the pomp, color and revelry of the running and jumping tribes I cannot see any connection of their dancing either with wellness or thanksgiving. There simply are no tribes in Alfonso. A vegetable and flower-costumed dancers could be more colorful and truly significant to the life of the Alfonsinos.

For the sake of euphony let us call people from Alfonso, Alfonsinos and Alfonsinas. We don’t call people from Batangas Batangenians or from Bulacan Bulacanians.

I believe that the whole activities could be could be compressed to only four days without idle moments instead of one week with many periods of lull.

With all the birth pains incurred by the organizers they all did a great job. CONGRATULATIONS AND MORE POWER. I am posting this now without having watched the culminating ‘Gabi ng Parangal’ tonight. The whole che-bang is an overwhelming success. Let us all offer ‘Sanghiyang’ (Thanksgiving to God) with tremendous hope that Alfonso shall not only be WELL physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually but also socially and politically.

THANK YOU AETDM. Alfonsinos and Allfonsinas are shouting…MORE !!!

A COMMENTARY

A COMMENTARY

I would like to congratulate the efforts of the Alfonso Eco-Tourism Development Management, Inc. (AETDM), a private organization, for launching WELLNESS IS THE NEW ALFONSO, in cooperation with the Alfonso Municipal Government.

It is enigmatically termed SANGHIYANG FESTIVAL. A bold attempt to modernize, glamorize and even globalize a centuries old Thanksgiving Ritual known as ‘Sanghiyang’, believed to be an offshoot of the Thanksgiving Ritual performed by Noah’s family after they were saved from the Universal Deluge.

It is being introduced as “a state of Wellness attained when the mind, body, emotion and spirit are well and true acts of worship happens”.

I feel good that at last Alfonso has its own Festival that Alfonsinos everywhere could brag around as its own. Although I think massive information dissemination is necessary for all concerned to be aware of the new concept. As it is now even the original ‘magsasanghiyangs’ are confused and unable to comprehend what is going on.

It could be more relevant if the complete original Sanghiyang Ritual is reenacted in a grand scale with symbolic offerings of the different Baranggays at a giant ‘dulang’ with the usual crude ‘altares’ and participated by all the available ‘magsasanghiyangs’.

At any rate considering that this is the first attempt, much could yet be done to improve the Festival and again I thank the AETDM for the inspired effort.