Banaue eyes record inGuinness for pounding rice

By Victor Martin

BANAUE, Ifugao -- Residents of this tourist town are hoping to set a Guinness record for having the longest line of participants simultaneously pounding rice grains to remove the husk in last week’s opening of Imbayah Festival.

The activity, dubbed Mumbayu, is expected to lure local and foreign tourists.

The festival, which started in 1979, is held every three years.

Officials said this year would mark the beginning of the feast’s annual celebration.

Mayor Jerry Dalipog said Imbayah would be celebrated every fourth week of April to give tourists a time to plan their visits to Banaue and participate in the event.

Dalipog said the festival, a celebration of abundance and good harvest, is meant to preserve the Ifugao culture.

This year’s festivity highlighted the longest line of people showing off the traditional way of removing husk from rice grains.

Participants from Banaue’s 19 villages used 100 traditional pounding devices called Punbayuan.

Local and international tourists joined the Imbayah Trek, which will give them the opportunity to explore the rice terraces, the Batad Amphitheater  and the Banawor Trail.

Ifugao Gov. Denis Habawel said this year’s feast would show how Banaue has improved over the years.