Gov. Chatto urges anew to plant more Ubi Kinampay
Governor Edgar M. Chatto urged anew the Boholano Ubi growers to plant more Ubi Kinampay variety which promises high market demand at good price.
This was the statement of Gov. Chatto during the three-day 18th Ubi Festival which formally opened last Tuesday at the Plaza Rizal, this city. It was earlier known by the governor that the Kinampay variety runs out of supply due to high market demand.
Chatto assured the Boholano farmers “not to worry to plant Ubi” especially the Kinampay variety because of its marketability and strong support from the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh), allocating funds annually for agriculture aside from the continued support from the Department of Agriculture.
The governor emphasized that the province considered Ubi as a high value crop to substitute rice.
However, he explained that in terms of volume in production we are left behind by other provinces because of some challenges that we have been facing such as climate change and the declining number of farmers nowadays.
Gov. Chatto bared the PGBh and DA have scholarship programs intended for agriculture courses because we need farmers otherwise we will not be able to feed the increasing population in Bohol, and we will not able to feed the tourists coming to Bohol.
He congratulated the 350-strong members of Bohol Ubi Growers Association (BUGA) who have been working to sustain the Ubi industry in the province.
Acting Vice Governor Venzencio B. Arcamo also urged the Ubi growers to produce more Kinampay while citing a personal experience in his childhood days in Cebu. His grandparents would bring Kinampay to Cebu as pasalobong and that the aroma of cooked Kinampay cannot be concealed off the neighborhood.
Engr. Eugene Cahiles, chief, operations division, DA-Regional Field Office (RFO) 7 underscored the importance of Ubi to substitute rice on the table.
Cahiles said we should plant Ubi and other crops so that we would be ready to cater the needs of the tourists who are coming in once the New Bohol Panglao Airport will be operational in August this year.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas bared that there were 16 Ubi-growing municipalities participating in the 18th Ubi Festival bearing the theme “Ubi, Hamiling Lagutmon Ikapasigarbo sa mga Turista sa Tamang Panahon.
The participating towns were Carmen, Balilihan, Dimiao, San Isidro, Sevilla, Loboc, Sikatuna, Jagna, Lila, Dauis, Panglao, Cortes, Duero, Pilar, Alicia, and Talibon.
The BUGA, Ygays Farm of Dauis and the Kapunungan sa Bol-anong Organikong Mag-uuma (KaBoOM) also put up their booths and sold Ubi tubers and Ubi by-products.
The three-day activities were also highlighted with Literary Musical, Pinaka (biggest Ubi), Benignit Eating, Ubi Challenge Eating, Best Ubi Booth/ Ubi Exhibit contests and Ubi and other Endemic Crops Production Technology Fora.
The winners of the different categories were: Bugno sa Rondalya – 1st prize (San Isidro, Bohol), 2nd prize (Sikatuna, Bohol), and 3rd prize (Sevilla, Bohol); Ubi Kuradang Contest (farmer category): 1st prize (Carmen, Bohol), 2nd prize (Sikatuna, Bohol), 3rd prize (Sevilla, Bohol); Kuradang Contest (student category) – 1st prize (Dauis, Bohol), 2nd prize (Panglao, Bohol), 3rd prize (Baclayon, Bohol); Ubi Balak Contest (farmer category) – 1st prize (Carmen, Bohol), 2nd prize (Tagbilaran City), 3rd prize (Cortes, Bohol); Ubi Balak Contest (student category) – 1st prize (Baclayon, Bohol), 2nd prize (Panglao, Bohol), 3rd prize (Sikatuna, Bohol); Ubi Rap/Jingle contest – 1st prize (Carmen, Bohol), 2nd prize (Balilihan, Bohol), 3rd prize (Sikatuna, Bohol); Benignit Eating contest – 1st prize (Cortes, Bohol), 2nd prize (Baclayon, Bohol), 3rd prize (Sikatuna, Bohol); Ubi Challenge Eating contest – 1st prize (Balilihan, Bohol), 2nd prize (Alicia, Bohol), 3rd prize (Carmen, Bohol); Farmer Yoyoy Villame Voice A Like – 1st prize (Dauis, Bohol), 2nd prize (Sikatuna, Bohol), 3rd prize (Carmen, Bohol); Best Ubi Booth/ Ubi Exhibit contest – 1st prize (LGU Dauis), 2nd prize (LGU Carmen), 3rd prize (LGU Dimiao); Pinaka (The Best Quality Ubi Harvest: Kinampay – winner (Buenavista, Loboc); Baligonhon: winner (Dimiao, Bohol); Kabusok – Calinga-an, Sevilla); Binanag – winner (Carmen, Bohol); Gimnay – winner (Carmen, Bohol); Binato – winner (Baclayon, Bohol); Iniling – winner (Baclayon, Bohol)
In the closing and awarding program Thursday afternoon at Plaza Rizal, executive assistant to the governor Billy Tongco for and in behalf of Gov. Chatto thanked the Ubi growers for another milestone in the Ubi industry.
Tongco said that Ubi Festival happens only in Bohol, deservingly because only in the province that Kinampay has a distinctively unique taste.
Board Member Abeleon M. Damalerio, chair, committee on agriculture in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) in his message also expressed thanks to the BUGA and agricultural stakeholders who made Bohol a truly agricultural province.
Board Members Ricky Masamayor, Tomas Abapo Jr., and Neil Balite also graced the event. (Atoy Cosap)
