After two years of holding the Subaraw Biodiversity Festival online, festival organizers announced a budget-friendly face-to-face comeback this November in keeping with the austerity measures set by the Puerto Princesa Underground River.
PPUR spokesperson Donna Jean Genilan told Palawan News that while they had to cancel some big events due to financial constraints, the city government and the PPUR Festival Partners Foundation will make sure that Subaraw will be as festive as it was prior to the pandemic.
“We tried to maintain the other activities sa unang proposal, but upon learning na P1 million lang ang available na budget, we had to reconsider and cancel some events to make it ‘budget-friendly’. With the help of our partners in the private sector, masigla pa din naman siya. Bawi na lang next year,” Genilan said.
As part of tradition, the festivities will start at Brgy. Cabayugan from November 6-8 with a thanksgiving mass, community parade, community field demonstration, and other environmental activities like tree planting and coastal clean-up.
Subaraw will formally open on November 9 with a bloodletting event at the NCCC mall and a concert at SM Puerto Princesa. A drum and lyre competition will also be held from Mendoza Park to SM on that day.
A Mobile Legends Tournament, a Hip-hop Dance Showdown, and a Biodiversity forum will be held on November 10.
In lieu of the previous float and street dancing competitions, the organizers opted for a headdress and costume contest and an inter-barangay Zumba dance contest on November 11.
There will be no band concert and pyromusical show for the closing program, which will instead highlight local artists and the awarding of Gawad Kalikasan on November 11.
The PPUR management is set to release the complete line-up of activities and other details in the coming days.
