The Manaragat Festival – Held during the annual August month-long Fiesta celebration (August 1–31), a tribute to the fishermen of Catbalogan City.
The MANARAGAT is a festive dance characterized by varied movements and intricate steps of the different species of fish and sea shells inhabiting Maqueda Bay and beautifully presented by …dancers in exotic and colorful costumes.
The Manaragat Festival of Catbalogan City honors its Patron Saint, St. Bartholomew, every 24th of August. St. Bartholomew, the miraculous Saint, is believed by the local folks to have maintained the richness of Maqueda Bay as the major fishing ground of the province of Samar.
Ever since the first Manaragat Festival was first conceptualized , the celebrations have always been attached to a theme that best describes the people’s sentiment at the time. This was to stress the need for reflection amid the festivities taking place. The theme for this year is “Celebrating Culture to Mend Differences Towards a Unified and Progressive Catbalogan”, which is a call for reconciliation in the wake of a very heated election season.
view all photo’s here: Manaragat 2010 flickr Set
