THE municipality of Catigbian emerged as the biggest winner in the recently concluded 2026 Sandugo Festival Ritual Showdown and Street Dancing Competition, taking home a total of ₱1.4 million in prize money.
Mayor Benjie Oliva, together with Municipal Treasurer Flor Mae Gahi and Councilor Oliver Oliva, officially received the three checks from Governor Aris Aumentado at the Provincial Capitol.
Catigbian’s Katigbawan Festival won First Place in the Ritual Showdown and also earned two special awards: Best in Street Dancing and Best in Production Design.
Mayor Oliva described the achievement as a great source of pride for the entire municipality and expressed his gratitude to all the performers, organizers, and supporters whose dedication made their presentation a success.
The Katigbawan Festival showcases Catigbian’s rich agricultural heritage, ecotourism, and culture. Its name is derived from three words: Katigbi (a seed-bearing plant), Tigbaw (a tall grass or reed), and Kabaw (carabao), which symbolizes farming and the hardworking spirit of the town’s people.
Through their performance, the participants portrayed the community’s deep connection to the land, its history during the Spanish, Japanese, and American periods, and its enduring reliance on agriculture as the foundation of local life.
The festival victory comes alongside another major milestone for Catigbian—the recent groundbreaking of the ₱61-million Regional Food Terminal, which is expected to further strengthen farmers’ incomes and help ensure a stable food supply throughout the province. (RTB)
