Nipa huts are now installed in Argao’s Cabecera or the fortified town center, the venue of the two-day food festival. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO).
The Municipality of Argao will host a two-day food festival this weekend, Dec .3 and 4, at the town’s Cabecera or the church-rectory, municipal building, plaza complex.
Dubbed as, “Eats Meets West,” the event sponsored by the Provincial Tourism Office will be participated in by 18 local government units in the province and highlighted with a Hablon fashion show and culinary contest on six categories, namely, best in lei, best in welcome drink, best in main course, best in dessert, best in pasalubong and best in table setting.
Gov. Hilario Davide III and Vice Governor Agnes Magpale will grace the event.
Argao Mayor Stanley Caminero said this is an offshoot of the successful holding of a food festival, one of the activities of the two-week “Kasaulogan sa Argao” held last October in honor of the town’s patron saint, St. Michael the Archangel whose feast was celebrated on Sept. 9.
Aside from being acclaimed as the “Torta” capital of the province, it is also the home of pre-Spanish tradition of Hablon, a handwoven clothing originally out of Abaca materials.
With the coming event, the premier southern town is evolving as the food capital, at least of the south, which can further boost the town’s tourism, said the surgeon mayor.
The schedule is as follows, Saturday — lectures/workshop at the training center: 9 a.m. – Cebuano Food and Galleon Trade; 10:30 a.m. – How to establish a town cafe; 11 a.m. – Organic Farming and Holistic Healing; 1 to 3 p.m. –Workshop on spoken word; 4 p.m. – opening program, 4:30 p.m. – street food sales; 6:30 p.m. – Hablon Fashion show; 7:30 p.m. – Saxophone and Accoustic Performance; Indie film showing.
Sunday — 7 a.m. – call time; 8:30 a.m. – culinary guidelines, criteria, intro of judges; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – contest followed by awarding.