Balbalan to celebrate 4th Binungol Festival; Food fair and cook fest to be held

 

BALBALAN, Kalinga — Native delicacies, cooking competitions and cultural presentations will take center stage during the fourth Binungol Festival in Balbalan on October 28–29.

The two-day celebration will be held at the Balbalan Municipal Hall Compound in Poblacion, featuring five major activities: a food fair, Binungol Cook Fest, Binungol Eating Contest, cultural parade and Mangangsa competition.

The annual festival, held every October, aims to preserve and promote Balbalan’s culinary heritage, traditions and cultural identity across its different subtribes.

The food fair will showcase local delicacies, including binungol, inabal di anangka, amlang, inabalan, and tinapaan and finasal kupi. The dishes will be judged before exhibitors offer them for sale to the public following the food fair’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 29.

The Binungol Cook Fest will feature barangays preparing their own versions of the traditional binungol, giving visitors an opportunity to see the cooking process and sample the local delicacy.

Festivalgoers may also join the Binungol Eating Contest, while the cultural parade and Mangangsa competition will highlight the municipality’s traditions and heritage.

Mayor Almar Malannag invited residents of Kalinga and visitors from other provinces to attend the celebration and experience Balbalan’s native cuisine and cultural activities.

“Welcome iti amin, taga Kalinga man wennu taga sabali nga ili, nga umay maki-Binungol Festival ditoy Balbalan,” Malannag said, inviting everyone to join the festival on October 28 and 29.

Malannag said the celebration would feature various native delicacies and competitions for visitors to enjoy.