TUBA, Benguet – The municipality of Tuba came alive as it celebrated the second day of the 9th Ava Festival on September 20. Centered on the theme “Ava: Cultivating the New Era,” the festival highlighted the significance of Ava, the town’s One Town, One Product (OTOP), showcasing its role in the local economy and the community’s cultural identity.
The government’s tailored intervention to promote inclusive local economic growth is “One Town, One Product” (OTOP) Philippines, a priority stimulus program for MSMEs. Localities and communities can use the program to identify, create, support, and market goods and services based on their unique local culture, resources, connections, inventiveness, and competitive edge. They can be most well-known for these offerings, acting as their “pride-of-place.”
For Tuba, their designated OTOP is the Ava. Also known as the “gabi” and “taro,” the ava is a vegetable with roots. Like yams, taro corms are a staple cuisine in East Asian, Southeast Asian, African, and South Asian societies. Moreover, the term ava is an Ibaloi term.
“The celebration of the Ava Festival, of course, it is our OTOP so we have to recognize also our OTOP as Ava, kaya nga every year we’ve been celebrating the Ava Festival,” Hon. Clarita P. Sal-ongan, Municipal Mayor of Tuba emphasized.
The second day of the celebration saw the 13 barangays of Tuba, respectively, Camp 3, Camp 4, Poblacion, Tadiangan, Taloy Sur, Nangalisan, Ansagan, Camp 1, Taloy Norte, Tabaan Sur, Tabaan Norte, Twin Peaks, and San Pascual, all gathered to show off their unity and oneness during the celebration. “Lahat naman sila naki-participate, kumpleto ang 13 barangays, nandyan sila,” Municipal Agriculturist, Flordelizo B. Abance, stated.
The farmers curated the Ava into different products, which include ava cake, pandan, coffee, tea, kimchi, ava chips, ava tart, and other products and food that support their livelihoods. Moreover, the celebration highlights the hardship and determination of each farmer, showcasing the biggest ava in town, stalling a mini-agri fair competition, crafting ava carts, and participating in quiz bees inclined with agricultural and farming concepts and the organizations that assist them: Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Council (PACS), Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council (MAFC) and along with other supportive organizations that help meet the farmers needs.
One of the participants from Taluy Sur, who presented their Ava cart along with their story of how they created it, stated, ‘Tuba is not Tuba without Ava.’ This proves that Ava has greatly influenced them to grow in the community of Tuba.
Furthermore, Abance explained that the agricultural office monitors and assists the farmers, which motivates them to be participative. “Yung mga farmers natin, regular naming mino-monitor, ina-assist namin sila kaya pag ganitong 9th Ava Festival, participative rin sila, okay naman kahit na ganito ang weather,” Abance noted.
Abance added that the celebration is already past the peak season of harvesting, which is around the months of June, July, and August. He further states that they help the farmers when they observe that sales aren’t doing too well.
“Ang ine-encourage namin sakanila, is itong Ava products, kapag bumagsak ang presyo, binibigyan namin sila ng trainings sa food processing, kapag di mabenta, pwede nila i-process,” Abance explained.
To officially close the program, the winners of the competitions were announced. Leonora Benito bagged the title of the Biggest Ava. Meanwhile, Taloy Norte Barangay Agriculture & Fishery Council championed the Mini Agri-fair Contest. For the quiz bee, Flora Afuyog took first place in the Individual Category Adult. Meanwhile, Kimberly Binay-an won the Individual Category Young Farmers, and Elmer Saoyao, Doralyn Telio, and Rhea Laruan won the group category. On the other hand, Taloy Sur Barangay Agriculture & Fishery Council acquired first place in the Ava Cart Challenge.
By Municipal Ordinance no. 283, series of 2017, the Ava Festival is celebrated yearly in the municipality of Tuba, Benguet, to spread traditional knowledge and methods for growing and using tubers and roots like ava. By Rachelle Quilling and Heleina Taeza
