Kapangan celebrates 4th Anitap Festival

KAPANGAN, Benguet – This town is now celebrating its 4th Anitap Festival will end Tuesday.

Starting March 13, this town showcased cultural parade and presentations, agro trade fair with participation of the community.

Councilor Manny Fermin, committee chair on Tourism and Environment, said theme  of this year’s festival was “One  community bound on culture for one destiny.”

An agro trade fair to showcase agricultural products, indigenous products and recycled materials among others took place March 13, according to Fermin. 

March 15 was dedicated as Barangay Day to highlight the role of the barangay in the development of the communities graced by Rep. Ronald Cosalan.

         

On the same day a “Battle of the Bands” was held.         Yesterday was Children’s and Women’s Day featuring presentations and competitions.
            

Recognition will also be accorded to individuals from Kapangan who excelled in their own fields and brought honor and prestige in the local and international arena.
            

The Achievers Awards is hoped to inspire the youth and have these personalities as their models, Fermin said.
            

Gov. Nestor Fongwan will be the guest of honor and speaker today (March 17) for the highlight of festivities.             There will be a cultural parade to be followed by indigenous ritual.
            

There will be simultaneous cultural presentations among the respective barangays to perform native chants and dances and the playing of a native instrument called 'tallak'.
            

Tallak is an indigenous instrument which utilizes the Anitap tree in producing sounds and vibrations similar to gongs, according to Fermin.
            

Anitap is a common tree in the barangays which the community hopes to preserve, the reason the town coined its festival from the tree, Fermin said.
            

On the same day will be the Search for Miss and Mister Kapangan.
            

March 18 will be Municipal Heroes Day in commemoration of the late BadoDangwa who was a warrior during World War II.

            

It was also designated as Veterans and Senior Citizens Day.
            

The closing program will also be on the same day where winners of best booth, and winners in competitions on agricultural products and recycled materials among others will be awarded.
            

March 19 was designated clean-up day. There will also be a 4 x 4 off road challenge on the same day.
            

Fermin earlier invited all who were interested to join the week-long festivities to have fun and enjoy what the town has to offer. -- Susan C. Aro