Ubi Festival sets on Jan. 28-31

The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) will once again celebrate the Ubi Festival on January 28-31, 2020 at the City Hall/Bohol-Agricultural Promotion Center (B-APC) Grounds, Dao, Tagbilaran City.

Dr. Larry M. Pamugas, Officer-in-Charge, OPA said the four-day activity is the annual event of the provincial government which aims to showcase the different varieties of Ubi especially the Kinampay, to create markets between the Ubi growers and traders, and to recognize and awards the Boholano farmers who have been engaging the Ubi farming in Bohol.

Dr. Pamugas said the festival would be highlighted with the different contests with big prizes at stake such as: pinaka (Ubi tubers harvested), best booth, Ubi eating, highest volume of Ubi display, best new Ubi processed products (pasalubong/ snack), and the literary and musical contests (Gary Valenciano voice and look alike, bugno sa rondalya, and Ubi balak contests for farmers and youth categories).

The officer-in-charge of the provincial agriculture office said that he already created the different committees to do the ground working which are the following; invitation, program, exhibits, physical arrangement, decoration and after care, secretariat, food awards and prizes, documentation and agri-info exhibits, finance, contest, motorcade, publicity and promotion.

Pamugas said that on Tuesday at 8 a.m. he scheduled the Ubi Festival preparatory meeting to be held at the Panda Tea Garden, Dao, Tagbilaran City to be attended by the Municipal Agriculturist/Municipal Agricultural Officer (MA/MAO); heads or representatives from Department of Agriculture-Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Office (DA-PATCO), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), OPA assisted non-government associations to solicit their commitment to participate in the display of their Ubi products.

Pamugas added that prior to the preparatory meeting there will be a brainstorming meeting tomorrow, 1 p.m. at his office in the Bohol Capitol Building to be participated by all the chairmen of the different committees to gather some new ideas to be presented during the preparatory meeting to make the festival be more meaningful and successful.

Rosanna G. Lamdagan, chief-Agribusiness Division, OPA is hopeful that more exhibitors would participate to display their Ubi products this coming festival compare from the usual 20 municipalities of the past years’ celebrations.

Earlier the Bohol Ubi Growers Association (BUGA) vowed to participate and strongly support the incoming festival saying that aside from displaying their Ubi products at the booths of their Local Government Units (LGUs), they set aside their products to be displayed at the BUGA booth.

Lamdagan said the celebration would pave the way to create the markets between the Ubi growers and the buyers/traders and as such the Ubi industry would sustain and flourish. (Atoy Cosap)