Rodeo Festival 2013

Leonora Erika O. Rivera & Precious Lyka Lario

The most awaited event in Masbate this year, the 20th Rodeo festival is set on April1-15, 2013. It was formally commenced in January 16, 2013 with the organizers encouraging Masbateno s to show the world through this festival that Masbate is different (Iba an Masbate). A motorcade was held led by the Rodeo Masbateno Inc. (RMI) members of the Board of Trustees Engineers Sofronio Arizala, Edgar Ramos, and Edwin Du. It was graced by the presence of Viva artist Yam Concepcion, the only lady in the motorcade who rode a stallion. It was emphasized by Ma. Lourder Espinosa-Supnet during the launch program attended by ranchers and proprietors of hotels and resorts that Rodeo is not all about pure enjoyment, but it also offers a education on what a cowgirl is. The core event of the Rodeo Festival is the National Rodeo Finals occurring on April 9-13, 2013 wherein 400 cowboys and cowgirls will compete in various rodeo event to be held in the Masbate Grand Rodeo Arena, which will include bull riding, casting down of large cattles, two persons and four persons carambola, steer wrestling from horseback or bulldogging, lassoing from horseback, cattle wrestling on foot, whip cracking, and load carrying. The five day rodeo will feature 250 heads of cattle and 30 bulls. These events are divided into two categories: professional and student. The participating teams are coming from Benguet State University, Isabela State University,

Central Luzon State University, Oriental Mindoro Rodeo Team, UPLB rascals rodeo team, La SalleAraneta rodeo team, Central Bicol State University, DBESMSCAT, South Western University, Bohol Island State University, Bohol Los Masoneros, Siquijor rodeo team,Visayas State University, Xavier University, and Impasug-ong rodeo team. Another highlight activity is the Cattle drive, which re-enacts how the locals in the olden days would drive a herd of cattle from ranches to the pier to be shipped to Manila. Tourists will also be treated to exciting activities such as horse parade, calesa ride, street barn dancing, livestock show, trade fair, beer plaza, beef cooking contest, cattle drive, and herding and ranch tour, among others. Masbate has only the fixed arena in the country solely for rodeo equipped with grandstand, rodeo corral, stockyard, rodeo chute, bull riding chute, roping chute, and lights for the night rodeo. This festival is organized annually by RMI, a non-profit organization since 1993 with the primary aim of promoting the continuous and sustained growth of the cattle industry in the province of Masbate as well as promotes and develops tourismrelated business in the province.

Walk for Hope

Janice S. Ng, Rogelyn Abenda, Manuelita Andaya

Election is fast approaching. The Masbate Advocates for Peace conducted a Walk for Hope last February 23, 2013. Hope does not only mean reliance. It is an acronym which stands for Honest, Orderly, and Peaceful Election. This event began with a mass celebrated by Most Rev. Bishop Jose S. Bantolo, D.D., Bishop of Diocese of Masbate, which was held at Social Center, Masbate City. The pace wa filled with many people coming from different places of Masbate. The walk started after the mass. City officials, employees, politicians, some candidates for the upcoming election and even the schools including Liceo de Masbate participated in the said activity. It was a remarkable walk for everybody because right after the mass, it rained. The rain symbolizes blessing. Though the rain keeps pouring, the walk continued. The participants walked from Rosero St. to

Magallanes Coliseum. It did not end there. To be meaningful, it followed a session wherein the speakers talked about the coming election. One of them mentioned about the youth. Much is expected for the young ones because the youth is the hope of the nation. They are the concrete foundation of the future. They will light the way towards peace, prosperity, and innovation of tomorrow. They will replace the former leaders of the world and they can be better than them. The youth will decide the fate of the earth. Walk for HOPE is not only a simple walk. It is a gathering of people for a meaningful and peaceful election. It is also a reminder that A vote is sacred; nobody should sell it.

A Move Towards A Non-violent Election For the past weeks, various election campaigns were held. One of this was the Walk for Hope, thousands of people including students, government and private employees, and eve politicians and candidates stride in the main streets of Masbate City. The participants bearing placards are calling for peaceful and orderly polls in a province infamously known for its history of election related violence. This was organized by the Masbate Advocates For Peace (MAP), appealing to politicians and candidates to rebuff guns, goons, and gold in the upcoming elections was and thus, an agreement was signed. Re-electionist Governor Rizalina Seachon- Lanete and her son, Representative Scott Davies Lanete (third district), and former Gov. Elisa Olga Kho are the one who signed the document. Governor Lanete said in an interview with the Inquirer that peace could only be attained if politicians and the people would take by heart and not through lip service. In a press conference, Senior Supt. Arnold Albis, Commander of Special Task Force Masbate, confirmed that the killing of Edwin Amaron, Barangay Chief of Luy-a in Aroroy town, was election-related. Amaron was running for a seat in the municipality council under the Nationalist Peoples Coalition, the party of Lanete.