Subic Freeport celebrates San Roque feast day Disney-style

People dressed as cartoon characters from popular animated films swarmed the Harbor Point Mall here on Thursday as the entire Subic Freeport community led by the Subic Bay Freeport Authority (SBMA) celebrated the feast day of San Roque, Subic Bay’s patron saint.

With the theme, “It’s More Fun-tasy in Subic @ Harbor Point”, this year’s edition of the annual San Roque Street Dance Competition required participating schools, business locators, and SBMA departments to do a ten-minute number inspired by an animated film.

In the contest, students from the Columban College Arts and Sciences Department successfully defended their title in the student category with their “Shrek”- inspired performance and took home the top prize of P20,000 cash.

The Olongapo City National High School Special Program for the Arts took the second place, while the College of Subic Montessorri placed third.

The Property, Procurement and Management Department, meanwhile, bagged the top prize for the SBMA category with their performance of “The Little Mermaid.” The Tourism Department bagged the second place with their “Tarzan”- inspired number.

For the open category, the group Grand Exquisite Dancers won the top prize, with the James O’Brien Dancers and the Kids Nxt Door placing second and third, respectively.

SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia said the San Roque Festival is a special day for him, since it was during last year’s festivities when he spoke to the public for the first time as the agency’s chairman.

Garcia also thanked San Roque for protecting the Freeport during the heavy monsoon rains that swept the country during the past weeks.

He also praised the efforts of the SBMA's rescue teams at the height of the flooding caused by the heavy rains, noting that the teams rescued around 350 individuals.

“When San Roque was looking over us, I think he is also helping our rescue teams help out residents in the communities surrounding Subic,” he said.

Garcia then wished for a prosperous year for the Freeport: “Sana tuloy-tuloy ang ating pag-angat dito sa Freeport; sana tuloy na gumanda ang negosyo ng mga negosyante dito para maakit ‘yung mga iba na mag-invest dito at mag-provide ng mga trabaho para sa ating mga kasamahan na taga-Olongapo, Zambales at Bataan,” he said.

This year’s San Roque feast day celebration was sponsored by the Ayala-owned Harbor Point mall and was organized by the SBMA through its Tourism Department. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Dancers in Disney animated film-inspired costumes compete in this year’s San Roque Street Dance Competition at the Subic Bay Freeport. The celebration coincided with the feast day of San Roque, Subic Bay’s patron saint.