Villar to crown fiesta queen in Jaro

Senate President Manny Villar will be the Guest of Honor during the coronation of the Jaro Fiesta Queen, which highlights the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Candelaria on Saturday (February 2).

"Festivities such as this emphasize the religiosity of Filipinos and our innate fondness for merry-making. Our festivals are known in the whole world for its ingenuity and creativity and remain as a top tourist attraction," Villar said.

Assisting last year's title-holder, Maria Katrina Lopez Abello, Villar and his wife, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, will crown Andrea Aileen Marie Vinco Montelibano as the 2008 Jaro Fiesta Queen. The Feast of Our Lady of Candelaria and the Agro-Industrial and Charity Fair is the grandest religious fiesta in the country and the biggest crowd-drawer in Iloilo after the Dinagyang Fiestival. Reports say most of the 1.2 million visitors who came to witness the Dinagyang Festival stayed on to take part in the Jaro fiesta.

"It must be emphasized that the Jaro Agro-Industrial Fair brings economic benefits to the region. It is a venue that promotes and displays the agro-industrial harvest from all of Western Visayas," the Nacionalista Party president said.

The coronation night will be attended by the province's prominent personalities and entertainment will be provided by the University of Iloilo Performing Arts and one of the country's top singers, Jose Marie Chan.

The procession of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, the patroness of Western Visayas, followed by the crowned fiesta queen and her court is the most awaited part of the celebration.

Villar, who hails from Iloilo, is a devoted supporter of the celebration. Two years ago, Camille, the Senate President's only daughter, was crowned fiesta queen.