Tublay, Benguet – The Municipality of Tublay in Benguet is ready to celebrate its 115th Foundation Day with two weeks of festivities. The celebration, themed Am-am ni Itubday 2015: Sustaining/nurturing Tublay’s Gain” commences this coming Friday, November 13 with the 9th Cultural Performance and the 5th Badiw Competition.
The Cultural Performance is a dance and drama competitive presentation from elementary schools of the different eight Barangays of Tublay. The winner of this contest takes home P7,000 cash prize and gets to represent the municipality in the 2015 Benguet Adivay Competitions. The runner-up takes home P6,000 and third placers get P5,000. Nobody’s going home empty handed as the rest of the participants gets P2,500. Basil is defending its championship this year.
The Badiw competitions will also involve elementary students representing the eight Barangays of Tublay. Badiw is an Ibaloi customary which involves prayer chanting. Prizes similar with the cultural performance will also be awarded to the participantgs. Daclan is the defending champions of this event.
Both competitions will be held in the morning while the municipalities elderly will showcase their cultural performances in the afternoon.
Other events lined-up during the celebration include a Farmers’ Congress, a Children’s Congress, a Coffee Congress and Civil Registration with Free Assistance. The Foundation Day Program will be held on November 20 while the actual Foundation Day falls on Sunday, November 22.
“This year’s theme is more on agriculture and regreening Tublay’s mountains along with the other a events.” said Tublay Mayor Ruben Paoad when asked about the activities of the celebration. “We are geared to incorporated these two in sustaining and nurturing the growth of Tublay.” He continued.
The Farmers’ Congress is more geared towards vegetable and livestock production. It involves updates on vegetable industry, organic agriculture as well as the Tublay Agriculture Road Map and Business Planning. The Coffee Congress tackles techniques of earning livelihood from the lucrative coffee industry from idle lands while mitigating soil erosion. A contest on coffee roasting on Arabica and non-arabica breeds among the eight barangays and poster-making contest for 12-25 year olds are the highlights of the congress.
Jeffrey Sotero disclosed that Tublay has over 100 hectares of land that can be used for around 500 kilogram a week coffee production. “It is still an untapped market. A Manila-based company came asking if we can supply them 200 kilos a week.” Said Sotero.
Meanwhile, the Children’s Congress is part of the 23rdNational Children’s Month which is geared towards unity of the government and the community against ending child abuse. The legal aspects of living together including implications to the children, the moral and ethical aspects of living together and the Solo Parent Welfare Act will be discussed dur8ing the civil registration forum.
Hon. Juanito A. Orallo, the MCTC Presiding Judge and Atty, Julie B. Velasco, an instructor of the Benguet State University is expected to give legal enlightenment on the issues.
By: ARMANDO M. BOLISLIS
