Dapitan Stages 5th Handuraw Festival

DAPITAN CITY – This historic Shrine City in Southern Philippines staged its 5th Handuraw Festival on December 27-29 to usher in the celebration of 　the martyrdom of the Philippines national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal on December 30.

Rizal was exiled to Dapitan by the Spanish colonial authorities in the Philippines on July 17, 1892 as a punishment for his advocacy of equal rights and respects for Filipinos whom the Spanish colonists considered and derided as lowly "indios" then. He left Dapitan for Manila on July 31, 1896 after he volunteered to serve as a doctor in Cuba, then also a Spanish colony.

The City of Dapitan hosted the recently concluded three-day 15th National Press Congress organized and spearheaded by the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) as mandated by Presidential Proclamation 1187. It was held at the Dakak Park and Beach Resort in Dapitan City.

Handuraw is a Cebuano term which means flashback or recommitment to memory. Dapitan held its first Handuraw Festival on December 28-30, 2006 as part of the 110th death anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal. Since then it was held annually not only to commemorate the national hero’s death but also to promote Dapitan and its nascent tourism industry.

The Handuraw Festival merges historical, cultural, social and economic elements related to Rizal’s life in Dapitan. The festival activities generally include a holy mass, parades, seminar-workshops on Rizal’s teachings, agro-trade fair exhibits, choral and rondalla competitions, painting exhibits and street dancing, among others.

Dapitanons consider Rizal’s exile in their community as a bridge to the limelight of prominence in Philippine history, which can also help open their city to the glamour and wealth of the tourism industry.

Rizal’s four-year exile in Dapitan actually set the course of the community’s destiny. The hero introduced modern engineering, agriculture, medicine, education and the concept of generous community service to Dapitanons who in turn have accepted Rizal’s cultural legacy as their own to cherish. (by Johnny Nuñez) /MP