LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Provincial officials, organizers and elders agreed to forego with the merrymaking and conduct of thanksgiving rituals in deference to the hundreds of people who lost their lives and love ones during the recent onslaught of Tropical cyclones Ompong and Rosita not only in the province but also the whole region.
Gov. Crescencio C. Pacalso explained that the cancellation of the merrymaking and the grand thanksgiving ritual during the 118th founding anniversary of Benguet on November 23, 2018 is one of the means by which the officialdom and the people of Benguet show their sincerest condolences and sympathy to the calamity victims and their families during the wrath of the two weather disturbances.
“It is a taboo in our culture to be celebrating while others are grieving the loss of their love ones as a result of the previous calamities that struck our country that is why we decided to forego with the merrymaking and the grand thanksgiving rituals,” Pacalso stressed.
The governor also expressed his gratitude to President Rodrigo Duterte for granting the province’s request to declare November 23, 2918 as a special non-working holiday in the province which falls during its founding anniversary.
The province’s founding anniversary and Adivay festival will be evolving on the theme “Benguet Culture-Unity, Industry, Prosperity: Managing Adversities with Excellence thru Enhanced Indigenous Resilience.”
The Adivay festival activities will kick off on November 12, 2018 with an ecumenical mass to be followed by a kick off program, press conference of the Search for Mr. and Ms. Benguet.
A surgical caravan focusing on bilateral tubal ligation will also be conducted on November 13, 2018 which will be followed by the micro, small and medium enterprises summit, the second day of the surgical caravan, the 2nd Philippine Folk Dance competition and Likhawitan and poster and slogan-making contest on November 14, 2018.
Further, the jobs fair, the least day of the surgical caravan and awarding program of the Search for clean and Green Local governments and Schools and Clean, Green and Bloom national roads will be done on November 15, 2018.
The 2-day jobs fair, 1st Adivay intermunicipality Golf Cup, buddle fight meal for farmers, Mr. and Ms. Benguet pre-pageant and 118th Buguias foundation Day will be conducted no November 16, 2018.
On November 17, 2018, among the activities that will be conducted include the cultural dance performance, arnis competition and Benguet cultural music festival which will be followed by the Team Pinkpikan trail run and second day of arnis competition the following day.
Optical services, the opening of the agro-tourism trade fair and 118th Kapangan founding anniversary will be conducted on November 19, 2018 which will be followed by the provincial skills competition and health caravan on November 20, 2918.
The much awaited Small-Scale mining Congress will be held on November 21, 2018 simultaneous with the 118th Kibungan founding anniversary which will be followed by the interpretative presentation of Benguet history, health fair and 118th founding anniversary of Sablan.
During the founding anniversary of the province on November 23, 2018. The day will start with a civic-military parade followed by the signing of sisterhood agreement with the Hagiang Province in Vietnam and the 2018 Benguet Awards at the Provincial Capitol gymnasium.
No November 24, 2018, it will start with a Land Congress dubbed the Benguet heritage, taekwondo friendship games, provincial football festival, Dongba ni Kavajo and will culminate with the Coronation Night of the Search for Mr. and Ms. Benguet.
The last day of the Dongba ni Kavajo, mountain bike fun race and Mr. Adivay bodybuilding and men’s physique competition will be held on November 25, 2018 which will be followed by the agri-tourism fair no November 26, 2018 and the 4th first aid safety Olympics on November 27, 2018.
On November 28, 2018, there will be oral health services and eye check-up, farmers event, environmental forum and 118th Kabayan founding anniversary which will be followed by the youth IP games, a day of prayer and first day of diskwento caravn on November 29, 2018.
The indigenous rituals, cafeteria, last day of diskwento caravan, Jesus Reigns-Benguet and intermunicipality battle of the bands will be conducted on November 30, 2018 which will be followed by the closing of the agri-tourism fair 2018 and the high school musical battle of the bands on December 1, 2018.
The activities will commence on December 3, 2918 with the closing of the trade fair at the Wangal Sports Complex.
By HENT
