Kaogma Festival: Camarines Sur sets the last of summer ablaze
MANILA, Philippines - The end of summer is here and fiery Camarines Sur holds its last hurrah with the Kaogma Festival. Spearheaded by Governor LRay Villafuerte who has put Camarines Sur on the local and global map with the Camsur Watersports Complex or CWC, the country’s premiere water sports park and Caramoan Islands, the number three top beach vacation destination in the country where the hit reality TV show Survivor France was filmed, this year’s Kaogma Festival is hotter than ever.
The Kaogma (meaning “happiness” in Bikolano) Festival commemorates the founding of Camarines Sur and the hot, spicy and flavorful cuisine of the province.
The opening parade featured the Philippine Army Fifth Infantry Division Band and Contingent, float trucks with the Hotkids, Dalan sa Kalangitan and Ms. Kaogma finalists, marching bands from Ateneo de Naga and Camsur State Agricultural College, and street dancing exhibitions of Bamboo Fest from Bula, Bua Bua Fest from Nabua and Harana Festival from San Jose, Camarines Sur. Also at the parade were some of the country’s most seasoned cyclists, airsoft shooters, skateboarders, wakeboarders, boxers, motocross and 4x4 off road drivers. Governor LRay Villafuerte welcomed everyone with a vibrant fireworks display as singing sensation Sarah Geronimo, Mark Herras, Mark Bautista and Sonny Wood also lent their dance moves and vocals.
The Tour of Camsur — a popular national cycling competition took cyclists around the scenic terrains of Camarines Sur. At the CWC motorcross drivers and practical and airsoft shooters showcased their love for the sport and skill leading to extreme sports awards. The Bicol Jam capped the night off with performances from popular local bands and artists.
There were local favorite boxing matches — Buruntulan — the live performance of Stone Free and Chubibo, the Dalan sa Kalangitan Grand Finals attended by Pinoy Dream Academy’s singers Liezel Garcia and Bugoy Drilon, and the Hot Kids Star Quest 2009. The Hot Kids Star Quest featured Jairus Aquino of Goin’ Bulilit and the cast of Dayo ng Mundo ng Elementalia which was largely created by Bicolano animators and garnered four major awards during the 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMF).
The Fourth Philippine Wakeboarding Competition, Kaogma Festival National Skate Jam, and 4x4 Isarog Challenge gathered riders from all over the country. The ultimate convergence zone for all-things-summer, CWC offers a world-class six-point cable ski system coupled with challenging kickers beckoning wakeboarders of all ages to grab their gear and head south.
Skate boarders also geared for CWC skate park featuring a six-foot half pipe, transitions, and street style obstacles for various tricks and spins. Boards flew on inclined planes and makeshift rails. Taking on the challenging terrain were also the expert drivers from all over the country. 4x4 vehicles lined up for the motorcade around Naga City before the competition proper. Drivers conquered the LRAY shaped course and 20 best drivers emerged for the finals.
Finalists in the Ms. Kaogma pageant were hosted by Bobby Yan. The finalists were serenaded by Dingdong Dantes. Heralded as Ms. Camsur Tourism 2009 was Farah Lopez, Ms. Camsur was Dominique C. Lagrimas, and Ms.Kaogma 2009 was Suzain P. Aguilar. The Kaogma Music Fest featured local bands Chillitees, DJ Dubious, The Dawn, MYMP, and Sponge Cola together with the Viva Hot Babes. Katya Santos, comediennes Philip Lazaro and Tuesday Vargas gave away prizes of up to P1 million with the “Hot Hot Millions” game show, giving the locals a chance to win exciting prizes from entertaining games.
