SO when this quaint island province off Northern Mindanao decided to celebrate its cultural identity 39 years ago, it cannot be anything other than this tropical seasonal fruit, which is reputed to be the sweetest in the archipelago.
This saccharine-tasting fruit is due to generous amounts of rainfall and sunshine, the island’s volcanic nature and the unique intercropping system of coconut and lanzones trees.
This colorful revelry recently came to life once again in a weeklong festivity to celebrate the bountiful harvest of the fruit.
Themed “Kinaiyahan atong Ampingan, Kalamboan alang sa Tanan [Care for Resources, Development for All],” the fest included a wide array of events, such as sporting tournaments, Festival Farm, Agro-Industrial-Tourism Trade Fair, Ag Sadya Kiraw Festival Grand Parade with the Mutya sa Buwahanan pageant candidates, music fest and Octoberfest.
The festivity’s locus is the street parade and competition as dancers in indigenous-inspired costumes converged in the capital town of Mambajao and danced all the way to the sports complex as a way of celebrating the harvest season.
Swaying to the drumbeats and the indigenous kulintang, participants perform animated dance steps that infuse ethnic and contemporary melodies from lumad indigenous peoples, such as the Manobo, Bagobo, Subanen and T’bolis tribes who have made Mindanao their home since the precolonial era.
Revelers also reenacted local folklore and legends, such as the origins of Mount Hibok Hibok, the province’s geological monument.
According to Camiguin Gov. Maria Luisa Romualdo, the festival is a golden opportunity to showcase the province’s natural endowments, which have earned raves around the world.
She said that the festival is a major event within the yearlong celebration of the 50th provincial foundation day when it was separated from Misamis Oriental in 1968.
Last year delegates to the Miss Universe 2016 pageant visited its tourist spots, most notably the iconic White Island, which was named by Skyscanner as the country’s fourth-most amazing sandbar.
Romualdo noted that, beyond the sweetness of the fruit and the frenzied dancing, the festivity will highlight the economic and development strides the province has attained for the past 50 years.
Other must-visit attractions are Ardent Hot Springs, Santo Niño Cold Spring, Katibawasan Falls, Catarman centuries-old fortress ruins, the Sunken Cemetery, the 1,000-step Walkway to the Old Volcano and Stations of the Cross, and Mantigue Island Nature Park, which boasts of a lush scuba-diving site.
A new must-try adventure activity is the breath-taking acrobatic flight across the island on a single-engine plane offered by Camiguin Aviation.
Other fringe events within the festival were sports tournaments, socio-civic activities, Farmer’s Day, Datu Daw Bai Ta Buwahanan and Diwata Daw Tayamtayam Showdown, Art Competition, opening of the mini provincial museum Historical Site Declaration. Spicing up the evenings were the food safari, Mutya sa Buahanan Beauty Pageant, which selected Camiguin’s ambassadors of tourism and a concert featuring top rock band Sponge Cola.