4-day Ubi Fest starts on Friday

The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist will once again showcase the famous “Ubi Kinampay” and other varities of Ubi in the province of Bohol during the 17th Ubi Festival slated on January 20-23, 2017 at the Plaza Rizal this city.

The four-day Ubi Fest that also showcases the processed products, identify issues and updates relative to the production and market matching where producers and buyers meet will be started by a motorcade at 12:00 noon from infront of Camp Bernido and Provincial Health Office (PHO), Purok 4, Dao, Tagbilaran City to ICM-J.A. Clarin St.-Capitol-CPG North Avenue down to the Bohol Cultural Center wherein the opening program be held at 1p.m..

Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo will be the Keynote Speaker of the occasion.
She will be introduced by Atty. Lucas M. Nunag, chair, Provincial Tourism Council (PTC).
Governor Edgar M. Chatto will deliver a message while Vice Governor Dionisio D. Balite will give the inspirational message.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas will do the welcome address and acknowledge the participants.
It is within the opening program that the International Sustainable Tourism Year 2017 in coordination with the Bohol Tourism Office, Bohol Provincial Tourism Council Inc. and the Bohol Association of Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants will be launched.
The ribbon cutting and the opening of exhibits at the Plaza Rizal will be done right after the opening program by Sec. Teo, Gov. Chatto, DA-7 Director Salvador D. Diputado, Balilihan Mayor and Bohol First Lady Maria Puresa V. Chatto, Vice Gov. Balite, Rep. Rene L. Relampagos, Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, Rep. Arthur C. Yap, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members, Liza M. Quirog, Atty. Nunag, and Rommel T. Gonzales.
Beaming the theme “Ubing Bol-anon Dugang Palambo-on; Mga Batan-on Ang Pagpananom Buhaton,” the four-day activities will be highlighted with the different contests such as Pinaka (the best quality Ubi harvest), Literary Musical, Best Booth/Ubi Exhibit and Ubi Poster Making with big prizes at stake.
The Literary Musical Contest consisting of the following: Ubi Balak, Ubi Kuradang, Ubi Rap and Jingle and Bugno sa Rondalya will be held on Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Plaza Rizal simultaneous with the holding of Ubi Cook Off at the Bohol Cultural Center (BCC).
The “Forum on Ubi as an Industry for Agri-Tourism Development in Bohol”, Ubi Technology Updates, and the Saemaul Undong Lectures will be conducted on Monday ( Jan. 23, 2017 ), 8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon still at the Plaza Rizal, the hub of the activities.
The closing and awarding program will also be held on Monday, 2 pm at the Island City Mall (ICM).
In the program, the Gulayan sa Paaralan (C.Y. 2016) and the Ubi Festival 2017 winners will be recognized and awarded.
Gov. Chatto, Vice Gov. Balite, SP members, Quirog, Pamugas, Dr. Wilfreda D. Bongalos, Dr. Virginia C. Zapanta will give the awards to the winners of the Gulayan sa Paaralan while the winners of the Ubi Festival 2017 will be awarded by Chatto, Balite, SP members, Quirog and Pamugas.
The governor and Board Member Abeleon R. Damalerio, chair, Committee on Agriculture, Sangguniang Panlalawigan will deliver their message after the giving of awards and recognition.
More intermission numbers will savor in the opening and closing programs.
The theme of the year’s festival is focused on the youth because according to the Technical Working Group of the Ubi Festival, Bohol Ubi Growers Association (BUGA) and based on the statistics it showed that the lure of agriculture among the younger generation especially the planting of Ubi is slowly subsiding which supposed to be their diligence and knowledge in agriculture play an important roles in securing foods to the future generation.
The Ubi Festival is in partnership with the (BUGA) along with more than 20 Ubi growing municipalities of Bohol, the Department of Agriculture (Regional Field Unit) 7 through the Provincial Agricultural and Technology Coordinating Office, Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center, Bohol Experiment Station, Agricultural Training Institute Region 7, DepEd-Bohol, DepEd-Tagbilaran and the Bohol Island State University. (Atoy Cosap)