TUBOD, Lanao del Norte (PIA) — Residents here celebrated the town’s 78th founding anniversary and 38th Sagingan Festival to highlight the abundance of bananas in their town.
The town also showcased its 52 varieties of banana. The top three banana varieties in the town are Cardava, Lakatan, and Tundan.
“Among gi-encourage ang katawhan sa Tubod, through Sagingan Festival, kay ang saging importante pud nga other way of getting income. Through this activity, i-remind sila na kinahanglan, we want to be successful, kinahanglan limpyohan nato ang barangay, tamnan og product,” Mayor Dionisio Cabahug Jr. said.
(We are encouraging the people of Tubod through the Sagingan Festival, as bananas are also an important source of income. Through this activity, we remind them that if we want to be successful, we need to clean up our barangay and plant products.)
The mayor also shared that the Tubod College is working on banana tissue culture and helps farmers grow bananas more effectively and focus on using by-products like banana blossom.
Six clustered barangays here showcased their talents through a street dance and showdown. In the Sagingan Festival dance showdown competition, Cluster 6, consisting of barangays Bualan, Kalilangan, Tubaran, and Bulod, emerged as the grand champion. Cluster 1, composed of Poblacion, Barakanas, Sto. Niño, and Baris, placed second, while Cluster 4, which included Pualas, Taden, Caniogan, and San Antonio, placed third.
Cluster 6 also won in the street dancing competition, followed by Cluster 1 and Cluster 3, composed of Dalama, Palao, Camp 5, and Taguranao. Moreover, Cluster 1 won the Best in Sultan and Best in Engkanto awards, while Cluster 6 won the Best in Fairy award.
“Lipay kaayo ko ug nagpasalamat sa Ginoo. Nalipay mi kay tradisyonal naman ni, sa una pa man jud ni mao nang malipay mi, ug maka-represent sa among school,” Adriane Cagbabanua said of Cluster 6.
(I’m happy and thankful to God. We are happy, ma’am, because this is already traditional. This has been practiced for a long time, and we are glad to represent our school.)
Meanwhile, Kenths Adrian Matas from Cluster 1 found the competition enjoyable due to the fun and camaraderie he shared with other dancers. He shared that their well-executed and clean choreography helped the audience and judges understand the story well.
In the Karomata (two-wheel cart pulled by a carabao) Contest, Cluster 3 won as Best in Karomata, followed by Cluster 6 and Cluster 5 (representing Pigcarangan, Patudan, Kakai Renabor, and Tangueguiron). For the Painted Carabao category, Cluster 2 (composed of Malingao, Pinpin, Licapao, and Candis) emerged as the winner, followed by Cluster 6 and Cluster 5, respectively.
Cluster 5’s karomata was inspired by the newly-opened Panguil Bay Bridge, the longest bridge in Mindanao. Gov. Imelda “Angging” Quibranza Dimaporo said that the opening of the bridge is expected to bring numerous opportunities for the province’s growth and development.
Fifteen candidates from different barangays also competed for the Mutya ng Tubod 2024 crown. Betty H. Ebo, representing Barangay Malingao, was crowned the Mutya ng Tubod 2024. She shared her experience of overcoming bullying and discrimination due to her skin color since high school. She emphasized that she did not let others’ opinions define her, as she knew her own worth and capacity as a person.
Moreover, the local government is also developing a tourism site in Barangay Palao, located 1,200 meters above sea level. Pine trees surround the area, providing a view of the surrounding fog. (LELA/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
