City of Ilagan, Isabela – Vice Governor Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III, the Director General of the 2023 Bambanti Festival led the opening of the week-long Bambanti Festival with his better half Mary Ann A. Dy and were joined by the local officials at the Capitol grounds on January 23, 2022.
Dubbed as, “Isabela, Pagharap sa Bagong Hamon ng Kinabukasan,” Vice Governor Dy said that the Covid-19 phenomenon has caused the deferment of the celebration for the past two years.
Dy stressed that the festivity is a thanksgiving for the rich agricultural harvest of the province and has showcased the province’s natural charm and culture and its increasingly expanding economy.
“We now celebrate the resilience and diligence of the Isabela farmer that has brought integrity of the province as the country’s biggest corn and rice surplus producer, Dy emphasized.
The City of Ilagan is the Corn capital of the country and we have the town of San Mateo as the Mongo Capital of the Philippines and it is the province’ supplying rice to Metro Manila,” Dy added.
Officials graced the grand opening of the Bambanti Village, featuring the Agri-Ecotourism Exhibit and Sale of the different cities and municipalities of the province.
They showcased best products and delicacies in their respective Agri-tourism Booth and Giant Bambanti entries using only natural, organic, and biodegradable materials indigenous to the province.
Meanwhile, Provincial Information Officer Atty. Elizabeth Binag said this year’s Bambanti Festival with arrays of activities highlight events on Bambanti Booth, Giant Scarecrow, Street Dance, Dance Showdown, Makan ken Mainum, Festival King and Queen and alongside with sports activities and musical interlude.
Day 2 has held a Job- fair with 41 private companies organized by the Provincial Employment Service Office (PESO) at the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) while Medical mission will also be conducted throughout the week-long celebration.
Bambanti, the local word for a scarecrow, is the Isabelinos’ thanksgiving for their consistently abundant agricultural harvest.
Bambanti Festival is a tourism, cultural and heritage event promoting the province as the country’s top corn producer and ecotourism destination.
