The province of Nueva Vizcaya lived up to its tourism branding of Naturally Vibrant at the recently-concluded 15th Grand Ammungan Festival, which also celebrated the province’s 185th founding anniversary.

Bannered by the theme of unity and sustainable development, the festival highlighted the province’s colorful cultural diversity, unprecedented economic progress and good governance over the past few years.

The festival kicked off with a fiery start with the opening of the Nueva Vizcaya Travel and Tourism Expo by Department of Tourism Undersecretary Ferdinand Jumapao who represented Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

Now on its third year, the Expo features booths from the 15 municipalities, each showcasing their unique fiestas or festivals, tourist attractions, agricultural produce, food products, crafts, souvenir items, as well as distinct ways of life through song and dance.

Grand Ammungan Festival director general and former provincial governor Ruth Padilla, the festivity is a gathering in thanksgiving, and unity and diversity of 18 indigenous peoples and ethnolinguistic groups who have made the province their home.

Among these groups are the Ifugao, Gaddang, Isinai, Dumagat, Kalanguya and Bugkalot tribes which have made the province a cultural potpourri.

Ammungan is a tribal Gaddang word which means coming together or gathering, and is similar to the Ilocano term ummungan, which has the same concept.

Nueva Vizcaya governor Jose Gambito said that the festival is also an avenue to put the spotlight on its naturally vibrant tourist attractions, such as majestic waterfalls in Quezon, farm resorts in Bayombong, ATV adventures in Aritao expansive citrus farms and cave systems in Kasibu, century-old heritage churches in Dupax del Sur, World War 2 relics and mountain vantage points in Sta Fe, lush eco-tourism parks in Diadi, and mouth-watering dishes in Bagabag and Solano.

Adding excitement to this year’s edition is a new event named Bailes Y Canciones, which pitted collegiate students in choral and creative dance competitions.

Festival goers feasted on the second edition of the revamped “Mangan! Kulinarya Vizcaya Competition,” which had three categories — Payabangan sa Kayabang, Viz Baker, and Kapetirya de Vizcaya, which showcased its emerging gastronomy tourism circuit.

Crowned the new Saniata ti Nueva Vizcaya 2024 was Melar Claire Romero of the Municipality of Diadi who will serve as province’s ambassadress of goodwill and tourism.

The celebration ended on 24 May, with the grand street dancing competition of municipal contingents representing the diverse highland and lowland ethnolinguistic groups of the province.  

Adding spectacle to the cultural festivity is a paramotor flying exhibition which took to the skies to see Nueva Vizcaya’s panoramic terrain from up above.

Curtains fell with an evening concert featuring Novo Vizcayano artists, Kristof Garcia, BGYO, The Juans, and Julie Ann San Jose, and was capped with a grand fireworks display.