Naic unveils Karakol international festival

The charming coastal town of Naic, Cavite once again dances to the sounds of gongs and drums with the holding of the 11th Karakol International Festival on Wednesday, May 1.

The event, much-awaited by the folks of all neighboring towns in the province of Cavite, will be held at the sprawling Filipinas Paradise Complex in Naic owned by Dr. Romy and Lourdes Talag-Echauz. As in the previous years, the highlight of the event will be a procession participated in by thousands of devotees of the Santo Bambino de Aracoeli whose holy image is housed at the open-air Santo Bambino Chapel in Filipinas Paradise.

The Naic Karakol takes on an air of extreme religious significance with a Holy Mass to be officiated by Bishop Manuel Sobrevinas assisted by Monsignor Jaime Mora, Rev. Fr. George Morales, Rev. Fr. Ricardo Salazar and Rev. Fr. Andy Manaog.

“This is our way of thanking the Good Lord for all the abundant blessings we have received and of sharing this joy with our family members, friends, associates and all the townsfolk of Cavite. The Karakol reminds us that the Santo Bambino never fails to perform miracles in our lives,” Dr. Echauz related.

A total of 12 teams will be competing for plum prizes in this year’s Karakol. Three groups come from Naic while the rest come from such towns as Bacoor, Silang, Gen. Trias and Dasmariñas. All of them will be interpreting dances from all over the world such as Norway’s Mountain March, Italy’s tarantella, the Danish dance of greetings, and the Japanese parasol dance, to name just a few. The dance troupe from Centro Escolar University (CEU) Manila will do the American “square dance” while CEU-Malolos will perform its rendition of the Spanish flamenco dance.

Some of the dancers are plain housewives who see their participation in the Karakol as a welcome respite from their home duties. For everyone, the abundance of food, the colorful sights, the beat of the music and a chance to thank the Lord Almighty are the very elements which make this annual fiesta a very memorable affair.