Niyogyugan Festival: Celebrating the Present, Honoring the Past
To Quezon Province, I shall return! This place has indeed a lot to offer; all the way from flavorful dishes, warm locals, good places to stay, and the bright spirit of the festival to welcome you across the streets.
Niyogyugan Festival 2023 is a moment of celebrating the present and honoring the past.
Quezon Post-COVID 19
After more than three years of postponement due to the restrictions brought by COVID-19, Niyogyugan Festival is finally back! Recognizing the economic impacts of the pandemic, the initial thought was to hold a simpler celebration. But the locals of Quezon seemed to have another level of definition of simplicity. They served an extraordinary experience through smiles, culture, and their natural wonders and beauty.
Municipalities of Quezon showed their creativity and pride to represent their locales through the inviting agri-tourism booths. These spaces were ornamented with coconut shells and husks, as they exhibit their local products like the woven baskets of Tagkawayan, Mangosteen of Tayabas, iconic Pancit of Lucban, and many more to fill your stomach and eyes. People enjoyed looking and buying stuff from these local booths.
Niyogyugan Festival is not possible without the farmers who works with dedication, making Quezon the top coconut producer in the country. And to recognize them, the provincial government, led by Governor Dr. Helen Tan, held the 2nd Coconut Farmers Summit. It eyes not only to improve industry, but to support the farmers who works on the ground, leading to this success.
Meanwhile, to celebrate their harvest, a lot of products from the coconut were presented during the festival. There was a Tagayan Booth, offering not only Lambanog but an experience of culture and Quezonian ritual when drinking such. The vibrant coconut-inspired costumes of the street dancers emphasized with their bright smiles and all-out performance along the streets of Lucban. Seeing and experiencing the festive vibe of this event affirms the worth there is in celebrating the present.
Quezon Honors Quezon
Niyogyugan Festival began on 9th of August and concluded on the 19th. The last day intentionally parallels to the birth anniversary of Commonwealth President and to whom the province found its name, Manuel Luis Quezon. Locals of Quezon and their officials joined the mass in front of his statue and offered flowers. Together, they looked back and recognized the great contributions Quezon has in the Philippine history.
In a press conference, Nesler Almagro, Provincial Tourism Officer discussed some initiatives that the provincial government takes towards historical preservation. For the first time, they included academic competitions in Niyogyugan Festival, focusing on the identity and contributions of Manuel Quezon. He added that the contestants for quiz bee showed interest on the topic and performed well during the quiz bee.
Meanwhile, Governor Tan hopes to recognize history not only during celebrations but through education on the local history.
Locally, we want to inculcate sa mga estudyante ‘yong history ng Quezon… Regularly [sana], hindi lang sa celebration kundi doon mismo sa school, nai-inculcate na ang ating mga guro.
Governor Dr. Helen Tan on the local history of Quezon
Furthermore, Department of Tourism – CALABARZON Regional Director Marites Castro shared her visions on enriching the history of Quezon through empowering local historians. Almagro also discussed plans of establishing Quezon Research Center to preserve and share the history of the province.
The vibrant colors of the parade, bright smiles on Quezonian faces, and their dedication during Niyogyugan Festival speak volume of the province. Behind the festive vibe are celebrations of the present and an honor dedicated to the past. To Quezon, I shall return!
