by Lovely A. Carillo
Politics is okay—until it interferes with the conduct of beneficial public projects.
The May 2010 election has resulted to various controversies–from lost friendships to the termination of 86 Commission on Election employees hired by a local government. The latest casualty of the election heat is a major tourism event which is expected to bring in a lot of revenue for some areas in the Davao region, including the
Island Garden City of Samal and Davao City.
The yearly Samal Caracoles Festival, which has always been held on the last Saturday of April each year, has been postponed by organizers from the original April 24 to May 21-22-23 this year.
“We are postponing the Caracoles Festival, not because we were refused a permit but because we do not want politics to mar the celebration this year,” Caracoles 2010 marketing director Jonallier M. Perez said. He added that they do not want the Festival to be muddled by various election issues, hence the Davao del Norte Provincial Tourism Council and the Caracoles 2010 Executive Committee are postponing the Festival to another date after the May 10 election.
IGaCoS Mayor Aniano Antalan called a press conference last week and said he did not give a permit to the holding of the Festival this April “kasi baka magamit lang sa eleksyon (because it might be used for political purposes).” Antalan was referring to Regional Tourism Council secretary Araceli Ayuste, one of the convenors of the Caracoles Festival. Antalan belongs to the Lakas-CMD while Ayuste, who is running for a seat in Davao del Norte provincial board, belongs to the Liberal Party.
In a letter dated February 20, IGaCoS City administrator Cleto Gales, Jr. turned down the application of Perez for a permit to conduct the Caracoles Festival in barangay Penaplata on April 23 to 25 since the city “has not included the Caracoles as one of its 2010 Festival events, as they had expected it to be held in Davao City where it was held last year.”
Antalan said proper coordination was made with the local government of IGaCoS when Caracoles was first held six years ago. The local government even contributed a counterpart amount as well as logistical support when it was first staged in Babak district, he added.
The original plan was to hold the Festival alternately in Babak, Samal and Kaputian, but the Department of Tourism staged it at the Waterfront Insular Hotel on the second year, and at the Sta. Ana Wharf, both in Davao City, last year.
“Substantial coordination from you with the city government, more than just a matter of protocol, should have been properly observed,” Gales said. Further in his letter, he said that the city government should have been involved during the planning, arrangement and preparation for the festival.
The IGaCoS City Council approved a resolution urging the city mayor to “issue a special permit to Perez” for the holding of the Caracoles Festival on April 23 to 25 in barangay Penaplata.
While admitting that the Caracoles is “not a simple and ordinary event as it showcases the island’s creative culture” and is “one way of promoting the tourism industry of Samal”, Antalan reiterated the earlier decision penned by Gales.
“It is with more stringent reason to consider proper management and coordination with the city government of IgaCoS the planning and preparation of the said event, especially that activities as big as Caracoles Festival entails rigid planning to ensure public safety, welfare and protection of the participants,” Antalan said.
Antalan said he has no objection to the staging of the Caracoles, but turned down the request for a permit for the same reasons stated by Gales.
Gales and Antalan’s previous letters denying the permit for the Caracoles only cited “protocol” and the city’s Foundation Day as the main reasons. However, sources say the festival has been hit by another political mini-war since it is pretty obvious that Antalan is now using the election and Ayuste’s candidacy as among the reasons for not giving a permit for the event before the May 10 elections.
Opportunities Lost
The IGaCoS City Council said the Caracoles Festival is a private sector initiative that showcases the island’s creative culture through street dancing, beach sports competition, concerts and fashion shows.
Perez said the provincial government had allocated P500 thousand for the Caracoles Festival while the private sector also raised additional funds for the event, he added.
The money allocated for the Caracoles is cost-effective according to the City Council since it is one way of promoting the island city as a tourism destination and for attracting more investments to uplift the city’s economy.
However, although the Caracoles Festival has been postponed until after the elections, the city is already set to lose several opportunities that would have made the island more attractive to expatriates and foreigners alike.
This month’s celebration of the festival would have coincided with the silver anniversary celebration of the Philippine Retirement Authority which had planned to bring in a hundred or so expatriates to the island for the festival that is expected to promote Samal as a destination for foreign retirees.
“Yes, the celebration has been affected by the postponement, so we decided to shelve it and instead invite people to the head office for the anniversary celebration on June 23,” PRA regional chief Jaime Llames said.
Ayuste earlier said the Caracoles Festival means more income for the various resorts on Samal island judging from the fact that all the food and drinks went out of stock as early as 8 o’clock in the evening in the previous year when the Festival was held in Samal.
“The Caracoles Festival was made possible by the passage of the Tourism Act of 2009 which mandates the very active participation of the private sector in the policy formulation and promotion of tourism,” Perez said. He added the event should not be marred by politics.
Perez said it is best to move the Caracoles Festival so that it will not compete with the election fever characterized by the sight of thousands of campaign posters which would have taken away attention from the event.
He said bringing in hundreds of expatriates to the island under such a tense atmosphere, considering the controversy created by the mayor’s disapproval and the City Council’s resolution, will only place the event at a disadvantage because the visitors would surely notice the tension.
“Recognizing the very hot election season this year, the Council decided to move the holding of the festival,” a statement from the Provincial Tourism Council stated. “For the tourism industry to advance and be sustained, it must not be held hostage by partisan political considerations.”
The Council, along with the Department of Tourism 11, launched the 2010 Caracoles Festival along with the Summer Fun in the Sun Program at the Gaisano Mall of Davao third week of last March. Visitors were given a taste of the sundown-to-sunrise festival through the marine-life inspired dances performed by the Mugnapak Dancers.
With the postponement of the Festival, the rousing of Samal’s marine life and the islanders’ night life, will just have to wait until next month.
