BONTOC, Mountain Province – Residents and visitors alike will be given a triple treat during their stay in the province this April with the expected display and serving to the public of the biggest ‘patupat’ during the celebration of the Lang-ay festival on April 8, 2017.
Paulino Tumapang, chairman of the Lang-ay Festival Organization, said local ‘patupat’ makers have collaborated to produce the biggest ‘patupat’ which will be around 3 to 4 feet in height and 6 feet long that will be displayed and served to the public during the Lang-ay on the Street in front of the Bontoc public market.
Aside from the biggest ‘patupat,’ some 5,000 pieces of regular ‘patupat’ will also be prepared by the organizers for those attending the province’s 50th golden anniversary on April 7, 2017, and the Lang-ay festival the following day.
Further, Lang-ay organizers will also be serving the traditional ‘sinab-ang,’ sticky rice with camote, side by side with the biggest ‘patupat’ for the enjoyment and fulfilment of residents and visitors.
“We are tapping the support of our local patupat makers to provide an added attraction for our residents and visitors during the province’s golden anniversary and Lang-ay festival celebration. We want to make the activities memorable to the public to help boost the growth of the province’s tourism industry,” Tumapang stressed.
Tumapang added local organizers were also able to convince some businessmen to serve their special products and delicacies during the Lang-ay on the Street so that there will be more than enough food for residents and visitors that are expected to flock to the province to take part in the festivities.
Part of the province’s activities for its golden anniversary and Lang-ay festival will be the hosting of the second quarter meeting of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera where local development issues in Mountain Province will be highlighted and deliberated by the region’s policy-making body.
Before the serving of the biggest ‘patupat’ and sinab-ang,” the public will be entertained by the cultural performance of the ten participating municipalities during the grand streetdancing parade along the major roads of the capital town.
The provincial government and the Lang-ay Festival Organization decided to forego the festivities that were lined up for the festival last year after the untimely demise of then Gov. Leonard G. Mayaen who succumbed to cardiac arrest inside the governor’s Mansion on March 31, 2016.
Gov. Bonfiacio Lacwasan, Jr. personally invited Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza when he met him during the celebration of the 22nd founding anniversary of Kalinga and the RDC-CAR first quarter meeting in Tabuk City two weeks ago to be the province’s guest during the province’s golden anniversary and Lang-ay festival and second quarter meeting of the RDC-Car to be hosted by Mountain Province.
By HENT