An annual angels festival celebrated in Angeles City is set to feature guardians of Mother Nature for this year’s celebration.
The GraciAngeles Festival of Angels, set on October 22, will feature performers clad in angels’ costumes parading and dancing in the downtown streets of the city.
City Tourism Officer Dr. Richard Daenos said the theme is an attempt to incorporate new concepts to the accustomed angel festival being celebrated in the city, and in some towns across the Philippines.
“We are claiming that Angeles City is the ‘Home City of Angels.’ Starting this year, we will try to feature and incorporate varieties of angels to make our very own festival different from the others,” Daenos said.
GraciAngeles is currently the flagship festival of Angeles City which started in 2014. It is one of the highlights of the city’s month-long Fiestang Kuliat which aims to pay homage to the patrons and guardians of the Angeleños, the “Los Santos Angeles Custodios.”
The festival is in cooperation with Sinukwan Kapampangan, the Department of Education (DepEd)- Angeles City Division of Schools and the Nepo Center.
At least nine contingents from different public and private educational institutions will compete in the festival’s two major events.
The street dance competition will take place at 2 p.m. at the Sto. Rosario Heritage District. At 5 p.m., the free interpretative dance competition will be held at the Nepo Center.
Participating schools for Level 1 include Angeles Elementary School, Sto. Rosario Elementary School, Achievers Special Education Center, Cutcut Elementary School and Apung Guidang Nepomuceno Elementary School.
For Level 2, participating schools include City College of Angeles, Angeles City National Trade School, Angeles City National High School, and the defending champion, the Systems Plus College Foundation.
“Tourists and locals of our city are up for another delightful treat as we stage another edition of our very own festival. Through this year’s theme, we provide not only entertainment but also an appreciation and celebration of our traditions. It is also an awareness campaign at the same time,” said Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.
The festival is under the artistic direction of Peter de Vera, Vice Head of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts- National Committee on Dance (NCCA-NCD).