Tinagba in Iriga

Last week, Iriga City marked another Tinagba Festival. Tinagba is the celebration of a bountiful harvest and offering this to God. It is a yearly activity that unites an entire populace to come forward and extend their share in the commemoration.

Tinagba also coincides with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. This year’s festivity was officially opened by the new mayor of the city Ronald Felix Alfelor, the younger brother of former Mayor Madelaine Alfelor Gazmen.

As in the past years, Iriga invited members of the press to witness the observance of Tinagba. Crispina Belen, Walden Belen, Dindo Balares, Gie Trillana, Maryann Sta. Ana and Almed Garcia. Crispina, Dindo, Walden, Mary Ann and Almed now consider themselves adopted sons and daughters of Iriga. Gie, who was on her first visit, was totally surprised at how progressive the city is. Good roads, modern amenities and urbanized while retaining its rustic charm.

Iriga is No. 7 in the Top 10 Cities in Governance Efficiency; No. 46 in the Top 50 Competitive Cities in the Philippines; Top 10 Performing LGU’s in Good Local Governance Philippines 2012; Bronze Seal of Good Housekeeping 2011 and Silver Seal of Good Housekeeping 2012. In terms of education, it is ranked first in the Bicol Region in the National Achievement Test (NAT) for eight successive years.

During the former mayor’s term, Iriga was transformed into a character city: Each month is themed with a particular Filipino trait: Honesty, patriotism, respect, bravery, peacefulness, etc. And she was successful. She has also been most awarded as a local government chief including the CEO Excel Awards 2010.

While the city moves forward, Iriga has preserved some of its age-old traditions like the kissing of the hand of elders which is a sign of respect. Modernizing a city with a population of not more than 120,000 means equipping it with Internet, building a new market, procuring an air-conditioned library with WiFi, a new city hall, a new commercial establishment, upgrading telecoms, etc. A major plus is, its almost zero crime rate.

“Magka-kakilala ang mga tao. Yung mga petty crimes, madali mong mahahanap. A trike driver for instance who would find an item on his trike left by a passenger, sinusoli. In return, bibigyan namin ng incentive, magandang example for other trike drivers,” she said.

When she steered the city towards progress, Madel felt she has to be hands-on. “You really have to be involved. You really have to be there. You can’t be an absentee mayor. Being mayor means your job was not only official but personal. Kasi andun ka, kasama ka ng mga tao.” True to her word, she has remained hands-on as she helps her brother lead the city.

Madel served as the over-all Tinagba Festival director. From day one up to the last day, her presence was all over — watching over the participants, rehearsing with their numbers and seeing through every detail of the entire festivities. “Hindi mo sila pwedeng pabayaan. Lalo na tag-ulan. Nakakahiya naman kung sila nababasa at ako hindi.”

Since an entire city participated, the 36 barangays were grouped into clusters, with each cluster consisting of six barangays. In total, six floats competed, six schools for the street dance competition and 11 bull carts bearing the city’s agricultural products.

Douglas Nierras, the official adopted son of Iriga City (executed  through a city council resolution) headed the board of judges for the street dance competition. Other judges in the street dance category were Shirley Halili Cruz and Franco Velas. Crispina, Dindo and Almed served as the judges for the float and bull cart competitions. Douglas is a constant presence in every affair and occasion in Iriga. He has conducted dance workshops and helped form the MAG Dancers.

Irigueños are known for their artistry and talent. Nora Aunor is by far the most famous Irigueño. A local choir, the Iriga Singing Ambassadors, won the grand prize in the Hue Choir Competition in Vietnam in 2012. The Tinagba crowd was given a preview of their talent when they sang at the opening ceremony of the festival.

Jake Cuenca and Angeline Quinto, who were special guests of the city, also provided entertainment.

The Tinagba is one of the most colorful, celebrated and attended local festivals in the country. Hotels are booked for both local and foreign tourists. The atmosphere is always festive for everyone. Apart from watching a parade of floats and dances, there are medical missions, a food and agricultural fair, fun run, mountain bike challenge and a novena that culminates with a Mass at the Lourdes Grotto and church situated at the Calvario Hill.

This year’s food and agricultural fair emphasized on organic farming. “We are gearing our programs towards improving our agriculture. We are training our farmers on sustainable farming,” said Mayor Ronald. “We are an agricultural country and we are focusing on agriculture.”

Other sights to look forward to when in Iriga are the Gawad Kalinga Character Village, a sustainable community that houses the city’s homeless located on top of a hill with more than a hundred candy colored houses for the eyes to feast on; the Rafflesia Irigaense flower, the smallest kind in the Rafflesia family; the Ilian Hill, home to the Aetas; and the Heritage Museum located at the Philtranco Terminal (formerly ALATCO predecessor of Philtranco where the first bus transport in the country was established by Albert L. Ammen).