NOTE: This story was first published in The Bohol Chronicle’s Sunday print edition.
The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) is now in the preparation for the Ubi Festival to be conducted on the 3rd week of January next year.
Rosanna G. Lamdagan, chief, Agribusiness Division, OPA said that a preparatory meeting is scheduled on January 7, 2020 of which the venue is yet to be identified and to be attended by the Municipal Agricultural Officer/Municipal Agriculturist (MAO/MA), Agricultural Technician (AT-HVCCDP), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Department of Agriculture – Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Office (DA-PATCO), Department of Education (Bohol and City Divisions) and all the six division chiefs of OPA.
Lamdagan said that in the meeting, the attendees would participate in the drafting of the theme and fixing the exact dates of the festival, andinforming the attendees on the different categories of the contests.
Usually, the different categories of the Ubi fest are the following: highest volume of Ubi tubers displayed, Ubikuradang contest (farmers & students), best Ubi booth/ Ubi exhibit contest, pinaka (the best of Ubi harvest), Ubi jingle contest, Ubibalak (farmers and students), voices alike, Ubieating challenge, and motorcade contests with big prizes at stake.
The PGBh through the OPA expects more participation from the municipal local government units (MLGUs) in the Ubi Festival 2020 to showcase the different categories of Ubi such as;Kinampay, Baligonhon,Kabus-ok, Binanag,Gimnay, Binato, Iniling, and Tam-isan.
Earlier the Bohol Ubi Growers Association (BUGA) vowed to participate and strongly support the incoming festival. The OPA got the assurance from the Ubi growers during the regular meeting of BUGA last December 12, 2019 held at the Casa Rey Francis, Poblacion I, Tagbilaran City.
Esmeraldo “Ondoy” Maligsa, BUGA president said that aside from displaying the Ubi products at the booths of their Local Government Unit (LGUs), the BUGA members would set aside their products to be displayed at the BUGA booth.
However, during the meeting, the Ubi growers reported that we could expect the low supply of Ubi tubers this coming Ubi Festival because some planted Ubi in other municipalities in Bohol have badly affected with disease.
Romulo Campoamor, Ubi grower from Villafuerte, Carmen, Bohol reported that his planted Ubikinampay was affected by the disease that would lost him thousands of pesos.
The ubi growers from Cortes, Dauis, Pilar, Maribojoc, Baclayon, Sikatuna, Dimiao, Antequera, Panglao, Carmen and San Isidro who attended the meeting assured to display their Ubi products in the Ubi Festival.
They asked the leadership of the (PGBh) under the administration of Gov. Art Yap that the venue of the festival would still be at the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center (BAPC) Ground which is a good place for their buyers.
The Ubi festival has been institutionalized in the province of Bohol through a provincial ordinance which aims to award and recognize the Ubi farmers who have sustained the Ubi industry in the province. (Atoy Cosap)