Saulog Festival draws senatorial candidates

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TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — The Saulog Festival's vibrant stage became a platform for both cultural celebration and political promises on Sunday night as senatorial aspirants took the spotlight, including popular television host Willie Revillame.

Revillame entertained the crowd and even promised a P1-million prize, as he campaigned ahead of the May 2025 senatorial elections.

Also present was Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, who watched the Ritual Showdown, the festival's highlight event featuring the performances of delegates from Tagbilaran City's 15 barangay (villages).

Revillame, known for his decades-long television career, received loud cheers from the crowd as he sang his hit songs, including "Ikaw Na Nga" and "Kendeng Kendeng." He also handed out jackets and promised bigger surprises should he succeed in his senatorial bid.

Revillame revealed that he had intended to award a P1-million cash prize during the event but was prevented from doing so because of election prohibitions.

The TV host declared that if there were no election ban, he would have given the crowd P1 million, drawing enthusiastic applause.

He vowed that should he win a Senate seat, he would return to Tagbilaran City to personally hand over the P1-million cash prize and bring them as guests in his TV show.

Revillame, who brought 3,000 jackets to the venue, made sure that winners from the barangay competitions were prioritized in receiving the giveaways.

He also dared the audience to record his speech live and post it on social media, promising publicly that he would build a school in Tagbilaran City if he wins, addressing the commitment directly to Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap and Rep. Baba Yap.

Earlier in the evening, Villar took the stage to address the crowd.

She praised the performances of the 15 barangay, noting a significant improvement from the 2024 edition of the festival, which she also witnessed.

Villar, daughter of Sen. Cynthia Villar and former Senate president Manny Villar, was once a co-host of Revillame's popular television show.

However, both candidates did not appear onstage at the same time during the Saulog Festival event.

The Saulog Festival, which started in 2013, is Tagbilaran City's premier cultural and religious celebration held every April in honor of St. Joseph the Worker, the city's patron saint.

Derived from the Cebuano word "saulog," meaning "to celebrate," the festival showcases the city's rich heritage through street dancing, vibrant costumes, and synchronized performances that tell stories of faith, resilience, and community spirit.

A night of festivities concluded with Barangay Ubujan (Tribu Ubujanon) winning the Ritual Showdown championship, while Barangay Poblacion 2 (Tribu Dos Haguros) emerged as the Street Dancing champion.

Barangay Ubujan also bagged special awards for Best in Musicality and Best in Choreography.