BEAUTY AD BOUNTY – Those are celebrated in the Niyogyugan Festival in Quezon, where this columnist comes from. Born in the seaside town of Unisan and studies in Lucena, the capital of Quezon.
For sentimental reasons, Highspeed gladly receives this report from Highspeed contributor Jay P. Delgado.
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NIYOGYUGAN Festival 2016, the festival of festivals in Lucena City, was held last August 18-27 to celebrate the beauty and bounty of Quezon, centered on its primary agricultural product – coconuts.
Now on its fourth edition, the festival attracted almost 400,00 visitors, double than the visitor traffic recorded for last year’s festivities.
Among the highlights of the week-long festivities were the Bb. Niyogyugan Pageant where the winner gets to represent Niyogyugan Festival at the Reyna ng Aliwan Fiesta in Manila next year; the agri-trade booth competition where colorful coconut-inspired pavilions from the participating LGUs were set up around the provincial capitol building; the grand street dancing and float parade that traversed the main roads from SM Lucena to the provincial capitol grounds; and the exciting dance showdown at the Quezon Convention Center.
The historic art deco Quezon Provincial Capitol, erected in 1993, was itself bedecked with colorful motifs for the festival that is aimed to be at par with major festivals like Sinulog of Cebu and Panagbenga of Baguio in the near future.
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PAVILIONS – The most visited and which eventually recorder the highest sales from its products on display (especially the delicious mini suman wrapped and bundle in banana leaves) was that of Infanta. Designed to look like a giant desiccated coconut in the process of making copra, the booth won the grand prize of P3 million worth of projects in Category A (for booths of 1st and 2nd class municipalities).
The Buenavista pavilion meanwhile, won for Category B (3rd and 4th class municipalities) and also won P3 million worth of projects.
This Highspeeder was on a nostalgic mood visiting the Unisan booth that brought back memories of my summer vacations in the town in my younger years (My high school chum Dan Generoso, registered nurse now residing in California, regularly invited us to their home right across the town plaza).
The original capital of Quezon Province when it was still known as Tayabas, Unisan is the home of the famous dinilawang manok and puto bao, as well as centuries-old heritage houses.
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STAR-STUDDED – Bb. Niyogyugan 2016 proved to be a spectacular, star-studded pageant where 25 beauties from all over the province competed for the coveted title.
Candelaria’s Ma. Ahtisa Manalo was crowned as winner with beauties from Sariaya, Lucena City, Alabat, and Tayabas City as runner-ups.
Kapamilya stars Arci Muñoz, Daniel Matsunaga and Iñigo Pascual were guest entertainers.
Governor David E. Suarez (who is also from Unisan) and Representatives Aleta C. Suarez and Danilo E. Suarez graced the various events of the fun-filled festival that is sure to grow in scope and draw more tourist from all over the country. (Jay P. Delgado).