Defending champions Baguio City National High School and the University of the Cordilleras will get the chance to defend their titles in the high school and college level respectively in the coming 4th Globe Baguio Cheerdance Festival-SM Challenge in celebration of the 99th Baguio Charter day celebrations.
The fourth edition, to be held at the SM City Baguio Atrium will implement the Baguio Day guidelines which includes among others the 15-30 member-pep squad with the co-ed system to be applied.
Five to seven minutes will be allowed this time for the routines and will be displayed on a 12x12 feet dance area.
However, unlike in the 2007 contest organizers led by the newly-formed Cordillera Cheerdancing Championships (Triple C), Baguio Sportswriters Association, SM Baguio and Globe will limit the number of schools to be invited to 10 teams per category and eliminations to be held on separate events before the finals.
Eliminations for high school will be held on August 16 while the college division will be conducted on Aug. 23-all at SM Atrium.
The top five pep squads from each category will qualify for the finals and receive P3,000 each while a P1,500 consolation prize will be given to the teams who fail to qualify.
Cash prizes have soared tremendously after its humble beginning last year with P20,000 going to the champion in both the secondary and tertiary divisions. First runner-up gets P15,000, second runner-up P10,000, third and fourth runners-up P5,000.
BCNHS actually grabbed the first and third place last year on Baguio Day while UC, St. Louis University and Philippine Military Academy placed first, second and third place respectively.
UC have so far won two of three cheerfest editions losing the Panagbenga title to visiting Lorma College form San Fernando, La Union.
The 2008 Panagbenga edition applied the strict rules of the National Cheerleading Championship in preparation for the local pep squads’ participation in regional elimination tournaments.
The Baguio Cheerdance Festival has actually been adapted by SM in all its Luzon provincial malls after its successful staging here last year that practically jampacked the Atrium last Sept. 2.
Except for BCNHS and UC, other schools will be sent letters of invitation by the organizers.
Only one pep squad from each school will be invited to join. In case the 10 slots will not be filled up, second squads will be deliberated by the organizers before being accommodated.
Meanwhile, the elementary division, tentatively slated on Aug. 31, will be the newest division in the cheerfest.
The contest for the school graders became inevitable after cheering contests were introduced in the Palarong Lungsod.
St. Louis Laboratory Elementary School was last year’s Palarong Lungsod winner and proudly displayed its winning dance during the 3rd cheerdance festival last Feb. 24 at the jampacked Easter College gym. |
