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The
month of July 2001 marks the third year of the founding of this rare union
of Dapitanons in the Midwest region of the United States of America, whose
founding was God's providence. This was inspired by the founders' desire
to honor the patron saint of Dapitan, St. James the Greater, whose feast
day is observed every 25th of July.
Movers led by energetic U. S. residents Gil Cagbabanua I and Alma Acaylar
first thought of celebrating the famous Kinabayo Festival, a religious
ritual honoring the legacy and heroics of St. James the Greater in their
new American home. The next thing that happened was a spontaneous approval
of forging a union among Dapitanon residents in the U.S. primary to
cooperate with each other and come in each other's sid4e in times of
hardships and tragedy.
But the greatest impact among the founders was the idea of having the
privilege of helping the city of Dapitan through a concerted effort of her
residents abroad. "A help from us here could make a difference to the life
and development of our home city." said Cagbabanua.
Ms. Alma Acaylar in her envisioned a public library fully equipped with
books and other reading materials, which would prove useful and beneficial
to young Dapitanons. "It is a repository of wisdom," said Acaylar
referring to a possible provision of books into the said public
library. But she also said its realization depends mainly ib the sincerity
of Dapitan City leadership, saying she herself is bent on working forward
into acquiring books through the organization.
Thus, the simple desire to re-enact the famous tradition "Kinabayo
Festival" back home in the year 1999 here in the mid-western city of
Chicago, resulted to the founding of Circulo de Dapitanon by the
Festival's lead movers. Also active in pursuing the ideals were Reynaldo
Sygaco, Suzzete Ancheta, Vivencia Sygaco, Jocelyn Nalzaro, the late
Marivic Marco, Rupy Encabo and the late Flor Artieza.
In the
year 2000, the second Kinabayo Festival was held at a northern Chicago
suburb of Des Plaines graced by no less than Hon. Adelio Cruz, Vice Consul
of the Philippines.
The First Kinabayo Festival in the mid-west was held on July 23, 1999 at
Alden Northmoor function room at 5831 N. Northwest Highway here in
Chicago, Illinois. The event was surprisingly well-attended by Dapitanons
all over the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago. The successful
festival was cemented by the formal organization of the group and the
election of the first set of officers. Gil Cagbabanua was elected as
President; Alma Acaylar as Vice President; Cagbabanua as Secretary; Karel
Adriatico. Assistant Secretary; Norberto Soria, Treasurer; J Ruben
Cagbabanua, Assistant Treasurer; Jocelyn Nalzaro as Auditor; Leo
Cagbabanua as Business Manager; Rey Baje as Assistant Business Manager;
Reynaldo Sygaco, Suzzete Ancheta and Ruperto Encabo as Board of Directors.
This 1999-2001 Officers were formally inducted in OCTOBER 1999 by Joseph
Cedrick Ruiz, former City Mayor of Dapitan.
Consulate in Chicago, His attendance gave the organization the needed
boost of recognition and clout, thus, enabled its membership to gain
access to a broader release of some medical equipment, which is up for
donation to the Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital in Dapitan City. This July,
which is the month of the annual observance of Kinabayo Festivities,
several activities have already been lined-up. It would be held at Lone
Tree Manor at 7730 N Milwaukee Avenue, Niles, Illinois on July 22, 2007.
The new set of officers will be inducted and the dinner and dance party
will follow. The new Hara sa Kinabayo will also be crowned by the outgoing
Ms. Emily Samarinta, Hara sa Kinabayo 2006.
This
year's Kinabayo Festival would be attended by Dapitanons living not only
in the Midwest but also from other states such as California, Florida, New
York, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas and Canada. Browsing the 9
years of Kinabayo Festivities Cagbabanua said "We have gone a long way and
hope this group would rise above petty animosities and take a greater
challenge of serving the patron saint and helping our brother Dapitanons
in need in the mid-west. And an opportunity to help the people of Dapitan
City in general. |