Musikahan jumpstarts Tagum’s trio celebration

TAGUM CITY—Drumming up a simple yet festive mode in its soft opening last February 21, 2014, the City Government of Tagum and the Tagum City Tourism Council offered a prelude to its highly-anticipated trio celebration top-billed by Musikahan Festival, the city’s annual revelry focused on music.

Mayor Allan L. Rellon led Tagumeños during the soft opening held in front of the City Hall, where the city’s homegrown musical talents exhibited their talents during the ceremony attended by Tagumeños from all walks of life.

The local chief executive reiterated that this was just a prelude to something bigger and exciting about the 13th year of the Musikahan Festival, which will have its grand opening on February 28, 2014 at the Freedom Park.

Last Friday and over the weekend, several events were held including musical outreach performances in Tagum Doctors Hospital, Tagum City Jail and Gloria Christi Regis Center for Orphaned Children.

A photo exhibition in Rotary Park’s Beach Volleydrome, which visually narrates the transformation of Tagum from a sleeping municipality to a bustling urban hub, was also opened on Friday in anticipation to provide a venue for Tagumeños to appreciate the city’s journey to development. The said photo exhibition is curated by the City Information Office as the head secretariat of the City Historical and Cultural Commission.

The semi-finals of the revived amateur singing competition dubbed as Kantahan sa Tagum was also held last February 23, 2014 at the Freedom Park.

The Musikahan is included in the city’s triumvirate events leading up to the 16th Araw ng Tagum on March 7, which is declared as a special non-working holiday by Malacañan. The other component—The Tagumeño Bisag Asa—is focused on welcoming home locals who are now living across the globe.

In the course of its two-week run, the Musikahan Festival will feature the following events: Rondal Awit, Tunog Tagum, Himig Handog, Kasikas sa Tagum, Avenida Musika, and Kantahan sa Tagum Grand Finals. (Louie Lapat of CIO Tagum)