Nueva Vizcaya plays up tourism in festival

By Leander C. Domingo

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya -- The Ammungan Festival, the grand annual founding anniversary celebration of this province, kicked off its weeklong activities on Tuesday, May 24, with the launching of the 1st Nueva Vizcaya Travel and Tourism Expo featuring 15 municipal tourism booths.
    The festivities, which ended May 27, commemorated the 183rd founding anniversary of Nueva Vizcaya. Since 1985, May 24 has been declared by then-president Ferdinand E. Marcos as a special non-working public holiday in the province.
    The program started with a thanksgiving Mass at the Capitol's People's State with the declaration of the 2022 Grand Ammungan Festival by Gov. Carlos Padilla. It was followed by a dance from the Ari-Tau Folkloric Society and ribbon cutting of the 1st Nueva Vizcaya Travel and Tourism Expo and the Vizcayano Art Exhibit.
    Most of the activities will be conducted at the Capitol Compound in this town. Endeavors include the Ammungan Musikahan Concert, Ammungan Trade Fair, Vizcayano Art Exhibit, Gaya ng Dati, a public art installation at the Dumlao Boulevard; and the Ammungan Fun Bike Ride on May 26 at the Lower Magat Eco-Tourism Park in Diadi town.
    The provincial government's tourism office said the unveiling of the Solos Public Art Exhibit by Francisgum entitled "Gaya ng Dati" at the Sumlao Boulevard is simultaneous with the same artist's "Maranasan Muli"     Exhibition at the Belonging, a collective of Filipino-American creatives through visual narratives in Los Angeles.
    The tourism office also introduced the best tourism sites in the province by setting up booths per municipality showcasing ecotourism destinations.
    Padilla noted that Nueva Vizcaya comes across as a refreshing site on the Philippine tourism map, owing to its abundant supply of oranges.
    Tagged as the citrus capital of the Philippines, the governor said people love visiting the farms — particularly in the upland town of Kasibu — to pick the fresh fruits.
    He said the province has become a premium ecotourism destination for local and international tourists. Among its offerings are its cascading waterfalls, majestic mountains, unspoiled caves, crystal-clear rivers, and brooks, to historic churches and sacred sites.