More events added to the Peñafrancia feast

By Jason Neola

More events will be witnessed by devotees and visitors in this year’s Peñafrancia Festival in Naga City after an additional budget of P8 million has been approved to finance them.

City Administrator Elmer Baldemoro said the City Development Council (CDC) has passed a resolution approving the inclusion of the P8-million Peñafrancia Festival Support Fund in the city government’s Annual Investment Plan (AIP).

“The inclusion of the proposed P8- Peñafrancia Festival Support Fund in AIP will allow the city council on Tuesday (July 26) to re-deliberate on and pass the necessary legislation for the release of the fund,” Baldemoro said.

He said the city government designated the dates of major events for the celebration of the Peñafrancia fiesta in September.

Mayor Nelson Legacion expressed optimism that the civic and religious activities for 312th devotion to the Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the biggest Marian Festival in Southeast Asia, will push through.

The events for regional fiesta which is traditionally held in the city every year include, among others, the Miss Bicolandia pageant on Sept. 7; Peñafrancia Traslacion Procession on Sept. 9; Regional Scouts Parade, Drum and Bugle Corps/Drum Xylophone, and Majorettes Corps Competition on Sept. 14; and the Peñafrancia Fluvial Procession on Sept. 17. (PNA)