Viva La Ciudad

Vigan – the loyal and noble Fernandine city, is celebrating once again the Longganisa Festival which remarks the cityhood anniversary of Vigan at January 22 and the feast of the conversion of St. Paul, the city’s patron saint, at January 25. This year is a special year for the city since Longganisa Festival will be celebrated again fully face-to-face after the two-year pandemic. 
This awaits then a spectacular opportunity for us to document a brilliant way Bigueños celebrate the Longganisa Festival otherwise known as the Vigan Fiesta, the famous Street Dancing Competition.

I attended to witness this spectacular festive activity with my friends, we met at Xentro Mall Vigan and walked through the city’s center of commerce, Quezon Avenue, going northbound. As we exit the avenue and enter the city’s heart, which felt like going through a portal, seeing the streets empty gives highlight to the monumentality of the provincial capitol and of the city hall and the serene beauty of the Plaza Salcedo.

The crowd became larger and larger in numbers, and we found less and less space to be in. This just goes to show how the populace have anticipated the street dancing competition. 

Every competitor that came by were so lively, the drums were like loud horse thumps, in every single time the drum was beat, my heart did so too. Every single competitor felt bland until those of the UNP Danggay-Saririt came in, they had saxophone players that made lyres unnecessary, the tune of the saxophones made the entire music mellow to the ears, the dancers wore what looked like authentic abel which is just fantastic.

They championed in the competition for their category; as they should. 

This is only a small glimpse into the Vigan Longganisa Festival and there are more festive activities that have taken place. With this, I hope that more visitors would come to visit the city and witness not only the same colorful and magnificent things I have seen but beyond. The loyal and noble Fernandine city of Vigan awaits to welcome your presence. As they would have said it in the colonial era, Viva la Ciudad!

REFERENCE/S:
        Real, J. (2023). [UNP Danggay-Saririt dances gracefully at the front of Vigan City Hall. (1).] [Photograph].

        Real, J. (2023). [Ilocos Sur Provincial Capitol as viewed from the northwest corner of the Vigan City Hall.] [Photograph].

        Real, J. (2023). [Contingent B3 dancing along the beat of the drums.] [Photograph].

        Real, J. (2023). [Contingent A2 dancing with a faux longganisa prop.] [Photograph].

        Real, J. (2023). [Contingent A1 strikes a pose as it exits and goes onto the street dancing route.] [Photograph].

        Real, J. (2023). [UNP Danggay-Saririt dances gracefully at the front of Vigan City Hall. (2).] [Photograph].