The Provincial Tourism and Culture Office (PTCO) kicked off their National Arts Month with a series of special activities from February 20-21, 2026. Intending to engage the young people of Nueva Vizcaya, these include the Skate Competition, the ‘Garaw Vizcayano” street dance competition and the Cosplay Contest which was preceded by a parade of the competitors, and the Busking by local Novo Vizcayano bands. Ongoing through these activities were the Gumorning VIBE Pop-Up Market and Habi-Tat Vizcaya Weaving Exhibit, which gave opportunity for local businesses to gather in one place.
The Cosplay parade and contest included elementary- to college-aged participants, with costumes that represented a wide range of intellectual properties and even history, from the medieval West, genre music, Japanese anime, American animation, Korean television series, to video game property. The judging parameters included costume quality and the cosplay performance. Out of sixteen participants, five would gain prizes for their inventive cosplay, which included characters from series Squid Game, online platform game Genshin Impact, anime Riyo Reaper, heavy metal music group Slipknot, and a medieval knight.
The ‘Garaw Vizcayano’ street dance saw the performances of six dance groups from all over the province, namely 2K Prime, Dancespire Maneuvers, OUTRAW, SLCS Parabayle, Hip Hype Crew, and One Size Fits All. The street dance immediately followed the Cosplay Parade, which took place at Don Tomas Maddela Street in front of the FTM Building. While the themes of each choreographed dance varied from activism, youth subcultures, and the Filipino experience, 2K Prime would be named champion for their intense display and political messaging, with One Size Fits All gaining 2nd place and OUTRAW named 3rd.
The Skate Competition took place in the Skate Park behind FTM Building next to the Peoples’ Museum and Library. With the Skate Park having finished construction and been unveiled during the 2025 Grand Ammungan Festival celebration, the skating enthusiasts of the province enjoyed this full-circle moment with a spirited competition. Marc Michael M. Guerrero would be named Champion while also attaining the Best Trick award, with Matthew James Valloyas and Franco Noel M. Ambatali in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
In between the contests, the numbers from drag performers Lady A, Miss Vizcaya, and Levi Licious, also touched on similar themes of activism, drama, and patriotism. The Busking included local bands Chala, Eddy, and Last Shade, and performers DonDon Thomas and Hyatz the Harmonist, interpreting timeless Filipino classics and foreign staples in the music scene. Throughout the day, a Free Portrait Session was ongoing with artist Dexter Bigayan, capturing sitters in real time.
The second day of the National Arts Month celebration with its performance and athleticism-based events appealed to the youth of Nueva Vizcaya. Through their participation, and the collaboration of the PTCO with local artists and artisans, National Arts Month in Nueva Vizcaya proved to be a successful celebration. /igmb
[This article was first created on Facebook – Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya. For PGNV updates, visit: https://www.facebook.com/vizcayareporter]