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| The Capitol light show (PGIN) |
By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—After a
three-month long campaign season that ended with candidates and their
campaigners a little darker and skinnier, the Ilocos Norte government staged
the first of its kind lights show on May 8 to usher in the La Virgen Milagrosa
festival.
Launched in 2012, the La
Milagrosa provincial fiesta features a series of events celebrating both
classic and contemporary Ilocano culture while honoring Ilocos Norte's patron
saint, La Virgen Milagrosa.
Signaling the start of the
celebration, a rainbow of lights illuminated the entire
facade of the neo-classical Ilocos Norte Capitol building on May 8.
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| Preparing the light show (PGIN) |
As thousands of local,
domestic and foreign tourists visit the province, the magnificent Capitol
located at the heart of the city, with established water fountains on both
sides became a constant attraction among tourists, where people never missed
the chance to take “selfie”.
This also prompted the
provincial government under the administration of Governor Maria Imelda “Imee”
R. Marcos to set up a mini-theme park in front of the Capitol building that
changes every time there are big events such as the provincial fiesta or
depending on the change of the season or a holiday such as during Christmas,
Valentines and Holy Week among others. A “chibi” or replica of the three Marcos
politicians—Governor Marcos, Rep. Imelda R. Marcos and Sen. Ferdinand
“Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. conveniently located at the Capitol lobby are also an
instant hit among selfie addicts and those who adore the Marcoses.
“It’s like we have made our photo
ops with them for real,” one visitor said as she giggled while scrolling the
photos taken by her smartphone.
Ianree Raquel, Ilocos Norte Tourism
Office (INTO) head, said they have coordinated with Voltaire Dela Cruz, a
renowned designer as "one of the best lighting designers in the
world" for his light designs in public parks, including the annual
Festival of Lights at the Ayala Triangle in Makati City, Metro Manila.
The Capitol was chosen as the
location for the light show not for its central location in the provincial
capital of Laoag City, but because it is "one of our most important
heritage buildings," said Mr. Raquel.
“It’s for the first time that
we are doing this for the provincial fiesta and it will last for around 16
days. Starting at 6:30 p.m., the 30-minute lights show will continue on a
rotational basis until 11:00 in the evening," said Raquel.
He added that the provincial
fiesta is "essentially a celebration of our heritage."
The Miss Ilocos Norte
pre-pageant was also held with the initial Lights Show. The pre-pageant was
highlighted by an evening gowns fashion show. The gowns were made from inabel, the famed Ilocano fabric.
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| The Miss Ilocos Norte 2016 pre-pageant (PGIN) |
“It’s also the first time
that we are requiring all our designers and our contestants to use for their
evening gowns 70 percent inabel,” Mr. Raquel explained citing “this is part of
our efforts to upgrade the heritage fabric of the Ilocanos”.
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| The Miss Ilocos Norte 2016 pre-pageant (PGIN) |
Each of the 22 municipalities
and two cities of Ilocos Norte have their own representative for the Search for
Miss Ilocos Norte where they are required to use local designs in the pageant.
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| The Miss Ilocos Norte 2016 pre-pageant (PGIN) |
Other activities in line with
the La Milagrosa Provincial Fiesta include the Himala sa Buhangin! Art
and Music Festival on May 14; the Miss Ilocos Norte 2016 Coronation Night on
May 18; a nine-day novena and mass on May 12-20 held at different churches
throughout the province, and the grand procession of La Virgen Milagrosa on May
21 at the Laoag Cathedral.
‘Temptation Island’ commemorative sculpture
Since the first Himala sa Buhangin! Arts and Music Festival in
2012, the 81-kilometer stretch of pure and golden sand dunes of Paoay, Ilocos
Norte turned not only as a famous tourism destination but a haven where statues
of legendary Filipino artists continue to rise.
Its fourth instalment on May
14, 2016, the festival paid tribute to a rare Philippine cinematic masterpiece
following the successful unveiling of the sculptures of Flavio and Elsa, the
iconic roles played by Fernando Poe Jr. for the ‘Ang Panday’ series and Nora Aunor in the 1982 film ‘Himala’, respectively.
“This year, we are installing
the Temptation Island commemorative sculpture. This is inspired by the original
version (directed by Joey Gosiengfiao) and the (2011) version of the film by
Chris Martinez,” stated Mr. Raquel
He added that “we are now
working with two notable theater designers, namely, Mitoy Sta. Ana for the
sculptures and Ohm David for the set design.”
Both Messrs. Sta. Ana and
David are mainstay artists who are in the forefront of the development and
refurbishments of the various infrastructure in Ilocos Norte.
In an interview, Mr. Sta. Ana
revealed that he had mixed emotions on being commissioned to create an artistic
interpretation of the classic Filipino film.
“(I am) equally honored and
pressured. It is a big task resting on my shoulders immortalizing these
royalties. It is not often one gets the chance to do so, let alone the whole
cast of a film classic,” disclosed Mr. Sta. Ana.
Admitting being a fan of the
film, Mr. Sta. Ana beamed that “anyone who has seen it has instantly become a
fan as it considered by some critics as a cult classic which was even adapted
to theater.”
With the 1980 original
version and 2011 remake both filmed at the massive expanse of the Paoay Sand
Dunes, Temptation Island is one of the most-critically acclaimed films in the
country for merging social commentary with a distinct brand of wit and humor
and escapist entertainment despite its limited filming budget.
It follows the story of four
girls from different social backgrounds who are battling against one another in
a beauty pageant but end up instead on a lifeless desert after their ship
bursts into flame as they compete in one of the portions of the pageant.
The film’s
original casts were played by country’s former beauty
queens Dina Bonnevie, Azenith Briones, Jennifer Cortez, and Bambi Arambulo
while the 2011 remake included Marian Rivera, Rufa Mae Quinto, Heart
Evangelista, Lovi Poe and Solenn Heusaff.
Being more of a
"conceptual designer," Mr. Sta. Ana described that the sculpture will
be done on a mixed medium, saying that “the interpretation has fiberglass as
its base, the rock formation which serves as the platform, mylar boards in
mosaic patterns and the figures, sculpted in Paoay sand.”
The sculptures depict one of
the highlights of the film wherein the main casts are shown licking an enormous
ice cream cone to cool off from the scorching heat of the sun as they are
stranded from the arid desert, noted Ilocos Norte Media Incentives Desk officer
Elaine Lubguban.
Acclaimed as the Center of
Film Tourism in the Country, the Paoay Sand Dunes has become a popular backdrop
for artists most especially for local and international filmmakers since the
1970s.
Asked about Ilocos Norte’s potential to become a haven for artists, Mr. Sta. Ana
answered: “I think Ilocos Norte already is. There are endless potential talents
bred in the region waiting to be developed, to escape from their shell. The
ones who visit merely have to serve just as inspirations, and eventually,
should find inspiration from the people of Ilocos Norte.
Seeing the vast tourism
potential of the Paoay Sand Dunes, Governor Marcos initiated various
development efforts to the arid landscape turning it as a recreation, sports
and art center in the Philippines.
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