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Punta Cruz now a crux to histo-heritage tour

Written by anyajulia on 22 December 2008

A world-class musical drama by a community theater rendered at the foot of the centuries old watchtower is the latest in culture and history pedagogy now making a hit in Bohol.

Here, a community theater tells the story in a brilliant weaving of music and dance.

The artistic cultural presentation retells the infamous pangayaw raids of the moro Tirones, one that would force the people to fortify for themselves and build a stone watchtower for their defense and organize an armada of boat riding men to meet the raiders and engage them in battle at sea.

Pangayaw is a traditional pillaging of moro tribes in the region for gold, food and slaves to be sold to rich sultans in Mindanao in the 17th century.

Performed by local Cultural Collective at the foot of the centuries old watchtower, the Castillo del San Vicente Eco-Heritage Tour officially opened with much fanfare Thursday, December 18 at the Punta Cruz Complex in Maribojoc.

Mayor Leoncio Evasco, in an interview before the musical and artistic rendition of the tour’s main highlight aired his elation over the outcome of their effort to help the community.

Aided by a funding agency partner and assisted by an NGO, the government and contacted artists, the mayor said the town has developed livelihood and enterprise as well as harnessed young talents in the area.

Along with Bohol Alliance of Non-Government Organizations in a project called Building Livelihood Enterprise in Support for Sustainable Eco-Tourism (BLESSED) in Maribojoc, the local government has also effectively reclaimed the town landmark from it’s an image as just one of the many heritage towers here, but as a root of local history and culture becoming a major crux of tourism activities.

“Along the process, the Punta Cruz Cultural Collective, a community theater comprised by 21 artists who went through the Basic Integrated Theater Arts Workshop was established” creative and artistic consultant Lutgardo Labad said.

“The soft launching turned out to be a major event which opened eyes to the historical realities that shaped the local culture and tradition,” admits a Maribojoc local artist who witnessed the 30 minute artistic performance.

Performed at the foot of the 17th century watchtower venerated to San Vicente Ferrer, the brilliant dramatization of historic moro raids intricately weaves the past with the present, reinstating the towering role of the heritage structure in the lives of Maribocjanons, shared a retired teacher too awed by the performance.

Trained local artists from barangays Punta Cruz, Guiwanon, Lagtangon and Bood all of Maribojoc staged the dramatization using classic pangalay (southern temple worship dance) choreography, indigenous instrumentation and the age-old chanted narration to thread the entire story line.

At the opening rites, PACAP Bohol project coordinator May Blanco hailed the town for the integration of culture, empowerment, conservation and history to develop economic and livelihood opportunities for communities.

She pointed out that several development plans overlook the crucial culture and environment, but now Maribojoc.

The Castillo del San Vicente Eco-heritage Tour is unlike your other stops that takes about 15 minutes.

This is may be an hour-long tour featuring local guides, cultural presentations, souvenir item shopping and the soon to open marine protected area guided tours, Fritzie Mae Zamora tells.

Zamora coordinates Bangon tourism assisted events and also helps communities develop tourism support products.

The tour at the Punta Cruz complex also feature banana chip pasalubongs, native souvenir items crafted by nearby communities and next year also adds a guided marine protected area tours, she added. (rachiu/PIA)

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