People's Champion - Buyogan Festival

photo courtesy of Claudine Melendez

The crowd went wild when the pride of Leyte was introduced to perform the famous dancing bees of Abuyog. It was a clear manifestation that indeed, they are the most expected and regarded as one of the best-performing groups in the country.

photo courtesy of Reynold Rene

Most of us had high hopes and expected that Buyogan will once again bring home the highest tangible recognition of the competition, unfortunately, this time it was Tribu Pan-Ay of Dinagyang Festival who bagged the most coveted title for this year's Aliwan Fiesta hosted by Manila Broadcasting Company.

photo courtesy of Claudine Melendez

We have given the best shot and for the world to know, it was not as simple as eating peanuts. There were many exhausting nights after a series of grilling rehearsals and it was like a crazy formula of doing it over and over just to satisfy the eyes of the master choreographer.

Yes, it was obvious that we are the favorite of the hard-to-please Filipino crowd. The reaction from most of the live viewers could be a gauge that they were filled with so much satisfying emotion to what they were witnessing. In my own opinion, it was a gauge that we are giving the best performance and the nonstop cheer was more than an expensive recognition that somewhere in the eastern part of Leyte, there is a Festival that is worth my attention - The Buyogan Festival!

photo courtesy of Claudine Melendez

We won the hearts of the crowd and for me, it was the best reward in the competition. Viva Abuyognon!

Other sources about Aliwan Fiesta:
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/2012/04/10/aliwan-2012/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uXhdi_vT9Q
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/tacloban/local-news/2012/03/31/lingganay-buyogan-vie-aliwan-fiesta-214159
http://www.choosephils.com/read_post.php?cat=festivals&id=180