ANGONO, Rizal – Except for some finishing touches, the local government is all set to make a grand display of what could be the grandest celebration for the lakeshore town regarded as the Art Capital of the Philippines.
Information shared by municipal public information chief John Robert Ducabo hinted at month-long activities starting on October 31, and will go on until November 25.
The festival, according to Ducabo, will include a variation of exhibits embarking on visual arts, literature, pageantry, music, itik cooking competition, trade, sports tournaments and a grand parade, to name a few other activities culminating in the month-long celebration of the 2023 Higantes Festival.
Angono, from where national artists Carlos “Botong” Francisco (for visual arts) and Maestro Lucio San Pedro (for music) come from, has been generating foreign and local visitors vividly wanting a glimpse of the world-acclaimed Higantes and local arts embarking on painting, sculpture, music, literature, theater, multimedia and other disciplines In a statement, Angono Mayor Jeri Mae Calderon cited the need to sustain a tradition which dates back during the Spanish colony.
“For one, the mere mention of arts is synonymous to Angono where thousands of young artists are honing their artistic skills from no less than the likes of renowned Nemesio “Nemiranda” Miranda Jr., Orville Tiamson and many others.”
Interestingly, Angono has yet to secure an official declaration (naming Angono as the Art Capital of the Philippines) via congressional legislation, despite repeated attempts in both chambers of Congress.
