Tanauan, Leyte (August 16) -- After years of constant aspiration and hard work, the Assumption Academy ecstatically regained the championship crown of the PASAKA Festival which was held on August 14, 2009.

Ran and managed by the Sisters of Mercy, the Assumption Academy PASAKA tribe was the undefeated champion during the early years of the PASAKA Festival.

In fact, it nearly did not join this year's PASAKA. On second thought, however, the school administrators decided to continue setting the example of cooperation and unity among the people through the Festival, as it did so in the last 18 years. Besides, the school owes it to the town's chief executive who is on his last term of office this year, a school administrator who refused to be named said.

Assumption Academy's spectacular and contagious overall presentation and street dance won for it this year's PASAKA championship. It received P50,000. in cash instead of the P25,000 as promised because Mayor Tiu, satisfied by the performance of this year's contingents`, doubled the pegged price. The AA contingent also claimed the championship trophy especially designed for the PASAKA, and the chance to represent Tanauan in next year's Pintados Kasadyaan Festival.

Coming in close as the first runner up is neophyte Tanauan School of Arts and Sciences better known as the TNHS-Annex, which won P30,000.00 and trophy.

The Tanauan School of Craftsmanship and Home Industries which has always been the team to beat, settled for the 3rd place as second runner up, winning P20,000.00 in cash and a trophy.

The Tanauan I Central School and the Tanauan II Central School won P10,000 each as the 3rd and 4th runner up, respectively.

For the Merry Makers Category, the Tanauan Woman's Club merry makers lorded once more the other 8 merry maker groups, to win the championship trophy and a cash prize of P10,000 which originally was supposed to be only P5,000 until Mayor Tiu decided right before announcement of winners announced that happy about the turn of the 18th PASAKA Festival, he doubled all the prizes.

Coming in as the first runner up is the Tanauan National High School merry makers group which won P7,000.00 and a trophy. The second runner up slot was awarded to the Kiling National High School merry makers group which won P5,000.00 and a trophy. The rest of the participating merry makers groups were given P2,000 each.

Mrs. Evelina Acevedo, this year's chairperson of the Board of Judges said that all the contestants exuded confidence and professionalism in its best form. It was not easy to judge them, she said, awed at how far the PASAKA Festival has gone since inception in 1992.