Voyadores festival to highlight 2023 fiesta

By Paulo DS. Papa

BEVIES of lovely gals donning colorful dresses will soon be seen again this coming Peñafrancia fiesta in the streets as the city government of Naga confirmed early this week the holding of the Voyadores Festival, an event missed by many during the celebration of the Peñafrancia fiesta last year, and in 2020 and 2021 when it refrained from holding of civic activities for the fiesta due to the pandemic.

Last year, the event was not included in the list of civic activities of the Bicol’s fiesta due shortage of funds brought about by poor collection in taxes because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In an executive order issued by Mayor Nelson Legacion on June 14, this year, it confirmed that the Voyadores Festival will be among the events that will highlight this year’s fiesta.

BEAUTEOUS ladies in 2019 Voyadores Festival. Naga City Government FB page

He designated City Councilor Jose Perez, chairman of the Committee on Culture and the Arts of the Sangguniang Panlungsod as the chairman of the Peñafrancia Voyadores Festival Committee.

City Administrator Elmer Baldemoro in a press conference last week, said that the preparation for the holding of the event has begun. “We are now started to sending invitations to different schools in the Bicol Region for their participation in the Voyadores Festival,” he said.

Elementary pupils are excluded from joining the event. He said they are encouraged instead to participate in the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts Parade and DXMC competition.

He said that the funds to be spent for the said festival will be readied once the city government is finished with its list of participating schools.