Quirino Province and its basket of happiness

The Province of Quirino marked another milestone as it celebrated the 25th edition of Panagdadapun Festival, one of Cagayan Valley’s sought-after festivities because of its color, diversity and cultural significance.

Literally meaning “gathering” or “convergence,” the festival was introduced in 1999 to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Quirino’s communities in an event, which goes beyond the usual pomp and pageantry. It coincides with the provincial founding anniversary when it was carved out from Nueva Vizcaya on 10 September 1971.

 Panagdadapun shifted to virtual mode for two years during the (Covid-19) pandemic to keep the festive spirit, and resumed to physical celebration two years ago with the launch of its Basket of Happiness rebranding, which featured the circuit of tourist-ready spots.

Governor Dakila Carlo Cua said that the weeklong merry-making showcased Quirino’s ascent to the tourism’s big league with the festival’s silver edition.

The Festival put the spotlight on the province and its must-see attractions such as the 100-foot Ganano Falls and its adjoining cascades in Diffun, the Aglipay Caves and Campsite in Aglipay, Governor’s Rapids in Maddela, and Landingan Viewpoint and Siitan River Park in Nagtipunan, among others.

The province resumed its Quirino Motorismo, one of the region’s biggest motorcycle sports tourism event and achieved its “zero casualty” objective, which gave a big push to their road safety advocacy.

Themed “Quirino: Mahusay, Matatag at Nagkakaisa sa Bagong Pilipinas,” festivities included the Arts and Crafts Exhibit Fair and the One Town and the One Product (OTOP) Agro-Industrial and Tourism Fair, which featured the destinations, crafts, culture, cuisine, and native crafts of the six towns in creative booths.

The province also flexed its sporty character with the Arnis Invitational Tournament, Bike Fun Ride for Humanity, and the 2nd Quirino Invitational Wakeboarding Competition, north Luzon’s biggest tournament, which lured the country’s top wakeboarders at the full-course, world-class Quirino Watersports Complex.

Celebration reached fever pitch on 10 September with the Provincial Foundation Day and the Panagdadapun Street Dancing Competition, which gathered the six municipalities at the provincial capitol complex to showcase their respective festivals based on indigenous cultures, local folklore and way of life.

 A top destination within the province, the sprawling 110-hectare government property in Cabarroguis town is dotted by souvenir shops, greeneries at the Orchidarium, Tree for Legacy Park, Bamboo Eco-Park, plant nurseries, resort-type hostels, museum and library, tree-lined boating lake, and a newly-opened wellness center.

The anniversary program also saw the official switch-on of Quirino’s Digital Infrastructure Project led by Gov. Cua and Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy, which put the province into the country’s national information highway.

Exciting fringe events included the Ube-licious culinary competition, which showcased the versatility of the purple yam, one of the province’s top agricultural crops, as appetizer, main course and dessert. With vast hillside plantations of the root crop, Quirino is a leading supplier of ube to the popular Good Shepherd Ube Jam maker in Baguio City.

The province also launched its mango wine, one of the home-grown food products from the Q-Life Center, which will soon be gracing dining tables of bars and restaurants in Quirino and the Cagayan Valley. The Center is a two year-old Korean-funded initiative, which produces ready-to-eat food and beverage with locally-sourced ingredients.

“With more and diverse events on its silver edition, we have taken Panagdadapun Festival to the next level, and we look forward to more impactful festivities in the next 25 years,” Cua concluded.