LUCENA CITY—Quezon Gov. David C. Suarez and his father, House Minority Floor Leader Danilo E. Suarez, led Quezon officials in the simple floral-offering ceremonies to celebrate the 138th birthday of the late President Manuel Luis Quezon (MLQ).
The event was held at the late President’s monument in the Perez Park at the provincial capitol compound here.
“Without the late President Quezon, there would be no Quezon Niyogyugan Festival to celebrate. The festival showcases our excellence and creativity,” the young governor said on Friday in his brief speech near the monument of the late MLQ, as officials from various local and national government agencies listened.
The coconut festival formally began on Thursday, with the opening of the agritourism fair and exposition showing competing makeshift huts offering the favorite hometown products of the 39 municipalities and two cities of the province.
The governor cited his mother, former Rep. Aleta C. Suarez, the prime mover of the festival since it began six years ago to promote the province’s main agricultural products.
He said the opening day of the festival drew 8,000 visitors, who flocked to see and buy homemade delicacies and coco-based products inside the various huts designed and built from coconut materials.
Also featured during the festival is the Binibining Niyogyugan pageant, talent competition and coronation night; hands-on demo on coco twinning/weaving, coconut sap and virgin coconut-oil processing; lecture on lambanog processing; Araw ng Pamilyang Magsasaka assembly and Teachers Convention at Quezon Coconut Center; various musical events featuring ABS-CBN’s Hashtags; grand parade and float competition; street dance and dance showdown competition. The festival ends on August 27.
The governor and Suarez expressed their full support to the relentless anti-illegal drug campaign of President Duterte for a drug-free Quezon province.
The governor said 59 provincial government employees lost their jobs when they tested positive during the random drug test conducted two years ago for all provincial government personnel.
The father-and-son tandem quoted famous words of the late Manuel L. Quezon, which were engraved on the cement wall at the back of his bronze monument. After they spoke, they headed to Queen Margarette Hotel for the awarding of outstanding Quezonians who manifested the virtues and excellence of the late president.
Vice Gov. Sam Nantes and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan stayed behind to acknowledge officials from various agencies in offering flowers at the foot of the Quezon monument before they proceeded to the program for the recipients of Quezon’s Medalya ng Karangalan awards.
The five recipients were led by Rev. Msgr. Leandro Castro, who was awarded for spiritual leadership; Nestor Pestelos for public service and community development; Josephine Fabre for culture and arts-music; Milada Dealo Valde for arts and culture-culinary; and Ricardo Merin Salumbides for farming. A special award was given to the group Susi ng Tayabas for arts and culture.
Image credits: John Bello