Following a 15-year hiatus, the 6th edition of the Grand Kaugmaran Festival Street Dancing and Showdown 2024 was relaunched by the Institute of Human Kinetics (IHK) to celebrate the Visayas State University (VSU) Centennial Founding Anniversary featuring contingents from five VSU campuses and one from Ormoc City last April 26, at the VSU Main Campus Grounds.
Prior to the Grand Kaugmaran Festival Showdown, the six contingents paraded the streets of the VSU Lower Campus to the VSU Upper Oval Grounds with their colorful and vibrant costumes and props for the Streetdance Competition.
In her speech, Prof. Thelma C. Zafra, Grand Kaugmaran Festival Consultant, shared the history and significance of the event.
"For five years, it has served as a fertile ground where seeds of hope and thanksgiving grew and prospered. Likened to the seed's journey of growth, it grows its roots and emerges triumphantly from the dark towards the glittering beams of light of the skies. It faced challenges throughout the years but now, on VSU Centennial Anniversary, full of hope and thanksgiving, Kaugmaran Festival returns." Prof. Zafra said.
To officially commence the event, Viscan dancers ushered VSU President Prose Ivy G. Yepes through a ceremonial opening ritual by beating the instrument “Karatong,” which is a signaling device made out of bamboo by the ancestors of Leyte.
The first to take the spotlight was the Pundok sa Masadyaong Villabanon from VSU Villaba Campus, showcasing their ritual dance celebrating the bountiful harvest of rich yellow-colored mangoes in their community life.
Tribu Mangirisda bannering the name of VSU Tolosa Campus donned with their blue vibrant attires, performed an unfeigned ritual piece with an advocacy against illegal and dynamite fishing.
VSU Alangalang Campus' Tribu Mag-Uruma ritual performance portrayed the importance of farming in a community and perseverance in conquering life adversities, garbed with their green clothing with in-sync glittering props work.
Representing VSU’s Main Campus, the Pundok Malauman’s ritual dance depicted the challenges faced by farmers and their resilience in rebuilding their daily lives with performers clad in a classic color combination of yellow and green.
Pundok sa Nagkahiusang Mag-uumang Isabelanon of VSU Isabel Campus delivered an effective ritual dance performance portraying the overcoming of various challenges farmers faced caused by rodents through science and technology.
The last to perform was the Tribu Malipayon of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of Brgy. Macabug, Ormoc City. They performed with a unique variety of sounds that represented the abundance of pineapples in their community.
After a colorful spectacle, Pundok sa Nagkahiusang Mag-uumang Isabelanon of VSU-Isabel notched two special awards, namely Best in Streetdance and Best in Costume, while Tribu Malipayon from the SK Federation of Brgy. Macabug, Ormoc City, bagged the Best in Musicality award.
In a gamble of blood and sweat, Tribu Mag-Uruma of VSU-Alangalang and Pundok sa Masadyaong Villabanon of VSU-Villaba snatched 3rd place with Php 80,000.00 cash and 2nd place with a Php 100,000.00 cash prize, respectively.
Meanwhile, the contingent that hailed supreme out of the six competitors, Pundok sa Nagkahiusang Mag-uumang Isabelanon of VSU-Isabel, grabbed the Kaugmaran Festival Championship trophy and received a grand cash prize worth Php 150,000.00.
The Kaugmaran Festival debuted successfully in 2004 on the 11th of August and has been held periodically since then (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009), with the most recent edition in 2024 capped off with a fireworks display to celebrate VSU’s 100th founding anniversary.