LIBERTAD, Butuan City, Philippines – Officials and organizers said all is set for the start of the feast of Libertad’s patron saint, Senior Santo Niño, on January 15 here – considered the biggest festivity in the Caraga Region.

The celebration dubbed “Kahimunan Festival” is a version of the famous Sinulog Festival of Cebu City where thousands of tourists, both local and foreign, are expected to participate in the annual event held every third Sunday of January.

The Region-13 office of the Department of Tourism (DoT-13), the City Tourism Office (CTO) here, the Caraga Tour Guide and Caraga Tourism Association joined hands in fully supporting the festivity of Barangay Libertad.

The various tourism groups and tourist guides here already lined up several activities, including the night café, “Kukabildo,” and other programs that are expected to add color to the event, like the “Kahimunan Grand Mardi Gras” that is fast approaching.

Thousands of tourists and local residents are likewise expected to witness the grand parade along the city’s J.C. Aquino Avenue on the way to the sports complex.

The festival is among the DoT-13 accredited festivals that promote the culture and tradition not only of the people of Barangay Libertad but as well as the Butuanons.

The event is also supporting the Tourism Development Agenda of the present administration as presented in the Philippine Development Plan for 2011-2016.

The city government here through Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante Jr. has provided P200,000 for the event, while Agusan del Norte 1st District Representative Jose Aquino II also donated some P300,000 for the big activity.

Organizers and local officials of the “2012 Kahimunan Festival” said “all systems are go” for the big festivities of the year.

The committee of the “Kahimunan” already started to accept participants or contingents for this year’s festival, where other competitions are to be staged on January 15 at the city’s sports complex.

As this developed, the regional command of Police Regional Office 13 (PRO-13) also readied its security plan for the security and safety of tourists and guests, and most importantly, for the success of the big event.

The PRO-13 said security measures will include the creation of a crisis committee tasked to respond to major alarms and incidents during Kahimunan-related events, especially during the Kahimunan grand parade where several participants have started registering.