It's May again!

It seemed like yesterday that the last Santacruzan file was closed and filed away.

After a few months whisked away, the City Tourism Council is back in the "thick of things" with Santacruzan 2006 upon us again!

We woke up one morning and realized it's May again and time for the biggest festival the gentle city puts together.

This year's Santacruzan festival opened with a bang last Friday, with the Rizal Boulevard sky ablaze with fireworks. Display and sale of Dumaguete's delicious delicacies, NORRAH's food festival and all "chachkes" bazaar made its premiere too. In Quezon Park the "Flora de Mayo" garden and flower show was inaugurated. A "muito Rio" Banda Mangga beat it's drums and percussion for everyone's enjoyment way into the early dawn.

The following are the highlights for the entire ten-day festival. There will be SMB Bands nightly with world famed "Parokya ni Edgar" in a free concert on Friday the 26th. Visayan pride and Bacolod's export to the nation Grupo Mari Teves will play on Saturday, the 27th. A group of DBF NegOr teens will explode with creation in El Camino Blanco on Wednesday, the 24th with "The Walk Off: A night of Fashion and Party," Thursday.

On the 25th, the "so now band" Cueshe will be strumming and crooning at the Lamberto Macias Auditorium. The monthly "Search for a Dumaguete Singing Star" will be on early dusk, Friday, the 26th.

D-Day will be on Saturday the 27th with the Grand Santacruzan parade and street dancing featuring five barangays depicting virtues of the Holy Mother.

Barangay Camanjac will portray "Veronica", Brgy. Junob will illustrate "Seba", Luke Write will do "Sentenciada", Piapi represents "Magdalena", and Candau-ay will showcase "Reyna de las Estrellas". Movie and television stars have been invited to escort the lovely ladies down city streets. This year Joross Gamboa, Jay Manalo, Biboy Ramirez, Jake Cuenca and Tyrone Perez will thrill their fans while pretty comedienne Sherilyn Reyes will portray the Reyna Emperatriz. Such a line-up ha?! See you in Dumaguete this week. Nous!*