by Marianne Jaraplasan and Ma. Angelika Dinglasan
Preparation for the Mayon-doon Dalaktik Festival 2022. Residents and staff clean the venue and make the event backdrop. Photo courtesy of Hon. Rommel Maningas, Brgy. Mayondon Chairman.
(UPDATED) Barangay Mayondon conducts its second grand celebration of the Mayon-doon Dalaktik Festival this April 26 to May 1 amid the COVID-19 pandemic after being postponed for two years.
(Editor’s Note: We reported that this is the second Mayon-Doon Dalaktik Festival. This has been clarified as the second celebration.)
Last March 16, 2022, Alert Level 1 was declared all throughout Laguna, wherein towns were permitted to operate at full capacity. Although restrictions were more relaxed, safety measures must still be implemented in the return of the festival due to the lingering threat of COVID-19.
Meeting preparation for Mayon-doon Dalaktik Festival 2022. Barangay Chairman, Rommel Maningas talks to his constituents. Photo courtesy of Ms. Joana Camantigue, Brgy. Mayondon Secretary.
“Ang ating pong kapitan ay balak mag FB Live para sa announcements before na mag-umpisa po yung mga activities natin…during the activities i-oobserve ang pasusuot ng face mask ng lahat po ng attendees…Ine-encourage ni kapitan na yung mga a-attend ay dapat fully vaccinated na.” said Barangay Secretary Joanna Camantigue. These are the health protocols that will be strictly monitored during the conduct of all the events in the festival to keep all the participants and the attendees safe.
In the last two years during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the barangay attempted to partially celebrate the Dalaktik festival for the second and third time by having a few extra-curricular activities for the residents to participate in such as a cooking contest, painting contest, etc. However, due to health risks and restrictions, the celebrations “were not that successful”. This year marks the second full-blown official return of the festival with all of its grand activities open to both the whole barangay and its neighboring communities.
(Editor’s Note: This paragraph has been updated to include the past years’ celebrations.)
The Dalaktik Festival, as per Ordinance No. 007 series of 2019, is the official festival of Brgy. Mayondon, Los Banos, Laguna. It was established under Hon. Rommel Maningas, to honor the barangay’s livelihood sectors: PangingisDA, PagmumulakLAK, and Pag-iiTIK. The event is scheduled to run annually for a week preceding the first Sunday of May, the feast day of their patron saint–La Purisima Conception.
According to Camantigue, “Siguro yung iba, di na sila familiar sa pag-iitik, sa pagbubulaklak, ang festival po natin ay para ipaalala sa mga residente yung three main industries ng aming barangay.”
The Dalaktik Festival celebration is proof that even if Mayondon went through tough times during the COVID-19 pandemic, it still managed to bounce back through the collective effort of the barangay and its members who are working hard in uplifting their livelihood as the barangay’s main sources of income.
“[Bukod sa] makapagbigay ng kasiyahan sa ating residente… Nabibigyan din po ng pagkakataon yung mga may small business sa ating barangay na makapagparticipate sa ating Trade Fair…” Camantigue stated.
This opens the opportunity for small business owners in the barangay to promote their products and hopefully recover from the pandemic.
Dalaktik Festival, the six-day long event that consists of multiple entertainment and livelihood activities, will be held from April 26 to May 1, Tuesday to Sunday.
The first day will give way to the Opening Program that features the Parade of Different Sectors (Pangingisda, Pagmumulaklak, at Pag-iitik), the Trade Fair, and the Motor Show. This will be followed by Dalak-Sing, an amateur singing competition, on day two. Day three will cover the Indak at Galaw Dance Competition. Day four will focus on Zumbayondon at Banda-Doon: Battle of the Bands. Day five will be allotted to Indakan sa Lasangan: Street Dance Party and Dalaktik Queen Gay Beauty Pageant. As a finale, the festival will end on day six with the Traditional Elejer and Pagoda and the Traditional Prusisyon.