PAGSALABUK FESTIVAL – feast of Dipolog City’s patron saint, Saint Vincent

PAGSALABUK FESTIVAL
The Festival

The annual feast of Dipolog City’s patron saint, Saint Vincent falls on the third Saturday of May. On the eve of the feast, the faithful Catholics of Dipolog celebrates its fiesta known as the Pagsalabuk Festival.

Pagsalabuk is a Subanen word pagsalabuuka which meant getting together, or togetherness of both tangible and intangible entities, aiming to showcase the blending of cultures of Muslim, Lumad, and the various diversity of the settlers from all over the country that include Spanish, Chinese, American, and Asian, which are amazingly have put together in this unique Mindanao tradition, celebrating the festival as one.

To come and partake in the event meant a treat of special events such as variety shows every night, musical recitals, art and phot exhibit, and the activity everyone anticipates – the street dancing competition.

Other activities featured are variety of sport activities such as mountain bike challenge, angler’s competition, sikad-sikad or pedicab and BMX race, kite flying, dart tournament, and skimboard fest among many others.

Recent celebration of the Pagsalabuk were participated by four contigents from the barangays of Dipolog in the street dancing competition which include the barangays of Barra, Miputak, Minaog, and Central Barangay. The competition is composed of street dancing with stations along the streets, followed by the final presentation in Plaza Magsaysay. Official dances which were performed by the competitors are samba, tango, and rumba.

The Scoop

Breath-taking Dipolog

Dipolog, known throughout the Philippines as the Orchid City, is in the northwestern part of the province of Zamboanga del Norte, because of the abundance of delicate flowers of different species. Aside from being the depository of exotic plants and flowers, variety of animals call Dipolog their home.

Having nicknamed the Bottled Sardines Capital of the Philippines, the city is also famous for their unique bamboo crafts, nito products, and delicate furnitures.

Adding to the ecological beauty of Dipolog is a park of 64 hectares of lush forest, giving trekkers an uncomparable experience of linking to nature. The Sicayab Beach awaits tourists who loves swimming, a seven-kilometer trench of fine gray sand common to the province. Tourists would also love to walk up the 3,003 steps to the Linabo Peak of concrete steps along a tunnel of lavish trees which at top rewards a panoramic view of the sky, plains, and the sea horizon, as well as the twin cities of Dipolog and Dapitan. It is the highest elevation point in the area. Along the way up are the Fourteen Stations of the Cross scattered in intervals and a community of chapels for a moment of prayer for the hungry spirits.