Jobless swell but the show goes on in Negros, Iloilo

There is something one must acknowledge. When they are enjoying themselves, Western Visayans just couldn’t be stopped. Even if the world crashes around them as with the reported layoff of 16,000 Intel workers in the Laguna-Cavite economic zone, the show went on for Dinagsa in Cadiz City in Bacolod, and the Dinagyang in Iloilo City.

The fabled Dinagyang shot up in the attention of Western Visayas when what was reported last week actually took off yesterday with the city girding for the “largest batchoy” feast in a bid to grab a world record.

Actually, I could have written about it last week when it was first announced that Deco’s Batchoy of La Paz was readying 1,000 to 1,200 servings of its famed original dish.

But one event after another nudged it to the background. And Deco’s just went ahead with the project sans fanfare until Friday when the La Paz district restaurant drew some 1,000 residents to a giant bowl of the famed La Paz batchoy.

Nobody in Western Visayas can contest the delicious taste of batchoy, the favorite of Ilonggos. Batchoy is sold in many restaurants in the Greater Manila area, and in Bacolod and Iloilo as well.

Ben Jimena, Iloilo tourism officer, enthusiastically predicted that “we are making history.” The guests who partook of the batchoy included Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and Presidential Adviser for Western Visayas Raul Banias, according to Nestor Burgos of the Visayas Daily’s Star.

Residents waited in line for the chance to taste the delicious soup, which earned its sobriquet batchoy, a mixture which included what Ilonggos and Negrenses consider as chopsuey.

Regional tourism director Edwin Trompeta considers the event a big boost to the Iloilo tourism industry – if it lands in the Guinness Book of World Records.

But that does not detract from the fact that it is only today that the final number of tribes in the Ati competition of Dinagyang will be announced.

That even as the Dinagsa (Stranded) Festival of Cadiz City also went into high gear.

Actually Dinagsa started last Sunday, Jan. 18. Yesterday the main highlights of the festival, according to Cadiz Mayor Bading Escalante, were the pageant night of Dinagsa and the proclamation of the Diosa ng Kalikasan. This was followed by a street party that drew into Cadiz City thousands from nearby cities and towns.

The fact that Cadiz City is about 65 kilometers north of Bacolod contributed to our failure to immediately take notice of the festivities which commemorate the stranding of whales in the city 35 years ago.

Actually, it is just another Ati-Atihan festival to honor the Sto. Niño, but also commemorates the stranding of a band of whales on Cadiz City’s shores.

The reason for the delay in Dinagyang’s final list of participating groups was due to the recommendation by Ben Jimena not to allow anymore Tribus Hamili and Himala to participate in this year’s dance competition. Both reportedly earlier presented lackluster performances.

Hamili though may possibly be included in the final list of participating tribes, but Himala may be left out. There’s no word from the group if it would change its mind on competing.

Be that as it may, Bacolod’s Capitol Shopping Center completed the morning preparations for the Chopstick Alley and street performances along Lopez Jaena and Narra Extension for this year’s Bacolaodiat, which commemorates the Chinese New Year with the festival of lanterns and fireworks.

This afternoon, after the street dances with dragons, etc., there will be multi-fireworks and lantern display at the Bacolod Plaza, the provincial capitol lagoon and park and the Capitol Shopping Center.

Today, there will be a street lantern dancing competition at the Bacolod Plaza and the Triangle Plaza of the shopping center.

Tomorrow, aside from the “grand dazzling parade,” there will be a Tsinoy cultural show and grand fireworks, which will usher in the New Year countdown and concert at the Triangle Plaza and Capitol Shopping Center.

The latter has actually become the Chinatown of Bacolod. Most of the buildings and business establishments in the area are owned by Tsinoys or Chinese businessmen and their families.

Over the past years, the Bacolaodiat has become a major tourism event for Bacolod. Its growing Tsinoy community has become integrated and aggressive and has become major contributors to the progress and development of the capital city of Negros Occidental.

That’s why, despite the warning bells about retrenchments and layoffs of workers elsewhere, Negrenses and Ilonggos are not waiting for the collapse of their dreams but enjoying the most until the day the bad news hits them.

But, of course, it is a fact that the province has already set up what Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco has dubbed as Task Force Tiempos Muertos. But later on that, let the fun continue for the time being.