Festival Participants in their colorful costumes

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – We visited Tacloban City once again, upon the gracious invitation of Mayor Alfred Romualdez and his beauteous wife, the former Cristina “Kring-Kring” Gonzalez, who is the city’s No. 1 councilor. The couple is on their second terms of office, and gauging from the adulation and respect that their constituents are showering on them, they will be serving as public servants for a long, long time.

We (a group of 15 entertainment writers and photographers from Manila) were invited to witness their annual Sangyaw Festival, a day of merry-making where the city showcased its rich cultural heritage while rekindling Tacloban’s religious fervor as they pay homage to their patron saint, Señor Sto. Niño.

This was the first time for us to watch this spectacle of culture and tradition of the city. Because last year, we were invited for another purpose: to be one of the board of judges to choose Miss Tacloban 2010.

More contingents joined this year's “Sangyaw Festival” (held June 29), said Kring Kring with much pride. The contingents came from the city and nearby provinces and regions and rendered fabulous production numbers all in honor of Señor Sto. Niño. Their impressive costumes were made of indigenous materials. One of the big attractions of the parade was Guinness Book’s smallest man Junrey Balawing. GMA-7 also had a float bearing some of its prime stars led by Richard Gutierrez who plays “Captain Barbell” in one the network’s current toprating shows.

While the colorful parade was going on, she and Mayor Romualdez, Rep. Martin Romualdez and Senator Bongbong R. Marcos waved endlessly to the crowd from a makeshift stage near one of her beauty parlors and spas bearing her name.

Kring Kring, by the way, is also the chairwoman of the City’s Committee on Tourism.

With her youthful and enviable physique, Kring Kring we noted could still make it as a star in the movies or TV shows. Although she has made her family and public service her priority, Kring Kring said she is not closing her doors to a showbiz comeback. Maybe to make a movie or appear as guest in some TV shows, but not as a regular cast in a teleserye.

Kring Kring recalled that she made about 50 movies, some of them of the sexy genre and she laughed at the recollection. Did she regret doing those sexy movies? “No, I don’t. Actually, I believe that those movies helped me to get me where I am now.”

Music icons at Enchanted Kingdom

Fun continues at Enchanted Kingdom with its “thunderous” events especially on weekends. EK shares the music of American legends Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, and Jackson 5 at the Bandstand every 1:30 p.m., at Midway at 2:30 p.m. and at Brooklyn every 4 p.m.

Park guests will also be serenaded by the soothing sounds of saxophone by The Siblings, Ian and Jacinto. Capping the entertainment shower of fun is the Enchanted OPM musical on all Saturdays and Sundays of July.

Story-telling by celebrities is also an attraction at EK. On July 10, IC Mendoza will be the story-teller, followed by Ivy Violan on the 16th and Fanny Serrano on the 24th.

For more information, you may log on to enchantedkingdom.com.ph.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings for Friday, July 8, go to Willie Nepomuceno, Ces Drilon, Gardo Verzosa, James Maturino, Millet Garcia, Marco Jose Revilla, Priscilla B. Ty, Miloy Trinidad, Evel dela Cruz, Liza Velasco, Viz Bonalos of NBN 4, Prof. Carmencita T. Aguilar, Jude Thaddeus Bautista and MB’s Emylou del Castillo...