La Union Goes Back to Heritage
Heading North for the summer break?
Tourists can still catch the tail-end of La Union’s festivities in time for the province’s month-long 165th founding anniversary until March 19.
Adamor Dagang, chief provincial information and tourism officer, said La Union’s heritage was the centerpiece of the celebrations that started last Feb. 18.
“Surfing in San Juan town greatly contributes to tourist influx. But more than that is the culture and tradition of people in La Union,” said Dagang.
He said different competitions provided residents from 19 towns including this city the avenue to go back to their roots.
Some of the events include Skrabiloko (Iloko Scrabble Tournament), La Union Henio (Iloko version of PinoyHenyo) and Kantarap or the singing of modern Iloko rap and Iloko songs.
Dagang said the activities were also meant to promote the Ilocano mother tongue as the province’s official language.
La Union’s best agricultural products were also displayed during the “Pinaka-lympics 2015” featuring smallest chicken, longest eggplant, heaviest fish, among others.
“La Union is an agricultural area, so this competition featured our own produce and each town’s One-Town-One Product (OTOP) which are of high quality,” Dagang said.
The same products provided a backdrop for the Grand Electric Float Parade where floats were adorned with colorful lights and indigenous materials that symbolized the towns’ homegrown industries.
This year, Sto. Tomas town again bagged the Best Float Award for its ocean-themed float inspired by its dried fish (daing) industry.
Iloilo City brings arts via streets and jeepneys
The City Tourism Office here is set to launch the project dubbed “Arte sa Kalye” this year to showcase art via streets and jeepneys.
City Tourism Officer Benito Jimena said that this project is an attempt to bring art to the streets, to make a scene, and to create fanfare on the road.
“The project aims to make the street scenes of Iloilo reflect the local way of life and promote tourism through the arts,” he said.
He said this is a collaboration of the various sectors in preparation for the influx of visitors for the upcoming hosting of big and significant events in the city.
“With the relentless development of the metropolis, this drive will complement the vitality of the place and strengthen our claim as center of culture, arts, and heritage,” he said.
The project will utilize two media – the jeepneys and the streets including other structural configurations.
For jeepneys, artworks will be painted on bodies of jeepneys which are the popular public transport in this southern city.
Meanwhile, three-dimensional designs will be put up on the streets, parks, and walls that will create illusionary images and draw interest of the public to artistic talent. (MCA/JOANNE NAMNAMA PARROCHA-PIA La Union) (JCM/Leonard T. Pineda I/PIA-Iloilo)
