Barangay Pahanocoy’s Okoy-Okoy Festival declared grand champion of the 1st Halandumon Festival Street and Arena Dance Competition held at the Bacolod City Government Center Football Field last June. Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia is eyeing to institutionalize the Halandumon Festival. In a letter last August, Leonardia asked the Sangguniang Panlungsod to come up with an ordinance that would make the festival a “part and highlight” of the Bacolod City Charter Day celebration every year.
According to Leonardia, the Halandumon Festival paved the way for Bacolod residents to show off their “artistic talents and ingenuity.” He added that the celebration “brought together our city barangays in the spirit of unity and cooperation” despite having “different stories to tell.” He said the Halandumon Festival showcased the support of barangays to city affairs as they are the “vital components of the city’s family structure and governance.” Leonardia hopes that the celebration would also make waves and be “world-renowned” like the MassKara Festival, one of the most sought-after festivals in Western Visayas, held every October.