Quirino sure knows how to show pride for its six towns as it celebrates its 20th Panagdadapun Festival from Sept. 6 to 10.
Literally meaning “gathering” in the Ilocano language, Panagdadapun gathers its six municipal festivals into one big event.
These festivals are Penenkakasisit of Nagtipunan, Pagay-Pagay of Saguday, Panagsasalog of Maddela, Ginnamuluan of Cabarroguis, Pammadayaw of Diffun, and Panagsalukag of Aglipay, which depict the way of life of the Bugkalot, Agta, Igorot, Kalinga, and Dumagat indigenous peoples, as well as Ilocano lowlanders—highlighting their roles in Quirino’s socio-cultural development.
The celebration of the festival also marks the 47th founding anniversary of Quirino, the smallest and youngest province in the Cagayan Valley.
The province was created on Sept. 10, 1971 when it was culled out from Nueva Vizcaya by virtue of Republic Act 6394 and was named after former Philippine president Elpidio Quirino.
The locus of the festivities is happening tomorrow, Sept. 10, with an anniversary program and the Panagdadapun street dance parade and competition, showcasing the municipal festivals.
Supported by the Department of Tourism-Cagayan Valley Region, fringe activities include indigenous arts and crafts exhibit, visual arts competition and landscape photography contest, job fair, the Search for Binibining Quirino pageant, sports tournaments, and socio-civic events.
According to Governor Junie Cua, the Panagdadapun is an opportunity to showcase Quirino’s natural charm through its colorful cultures and ecotourism destinations which are the province’s main tourist attractions.
Among these destinations are the Aglipay Caves and Provincial Forest Park, Siitan Nature Park and Binmapor Rock Formation in Nagtipunan, the iconic Governor Rapids at the Cagayan River in Maddela, and the series of waterfalls tucked inside the rugged terrain and virgin forests.
The landlocked province is also gaining popularity as a mecca for motocross owing to the challenging track the provincial government built in the capital town of Cabarroguis and the annual Quirino Motorismo, the country’s biggest motorcycle sports festival.
The province has also put up the state-of-the-art Quirino Watersports Complex, the best in the Cagayan Valley Region, which boasts a hostel with well-appointed rooms, an events pavilion overlooking an infinity pool, and a world-class wakeboarding and winch park.
Cua said this year’s celebrations highlight the economic, political, and governance gains the province has achieved since its creation.
He noted that this year’s celebration is special with the consecutive annual Seal of Good Local Governance Award the province received from the Department of the Interior and Local Government for its excellence in financial administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, and peace and order.
It is also a finalist in the 2018 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s Gawad Kalasag, the country’s premier annual awards for outstanding contribution in the fields of DRRM and humanitarian assistance.
The province was also conferred the Nutrition Honor Award in 2015, the highest distinction in nutrition, by the National Nutrition Council, and the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition maintenance award in 2013, also from the NNC.
Cua said the accolades are in line with Quirino’s vision of being the prime agro-industrial and eco-tourism destination in the north.