Nueva Vizcaya all geared up for citrus festival

KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya — This province’s mountain town, dubbed as Luzon’s citrus capital, will be holding a citrus festival Aug. 17-18.

Kasibu Mayor Romeo Tayaban said that all is set for the two-day festivity, which has been held yearly since this region’s major citrus-producing town was showcased as Luzon’s citrus capital.

With its vast plantations of citrus, especially located in the town’s Malabing Valley, Kasibu, is home to the increasingly popular perante oranges and a producer of export-quality seedless oranges of different species.

Dominated by a number of indigenous tribes such as the Ifugaos and Igorots, Kasibu, is being promoted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as the country’s citrus capital.

Besides the usual native thanksgiving rituals and spelunking activities, the Malabing Valley Citrus and Tropical Fruits Service Center and the DA-funded Guaranteed Citrus Seedling Production project will be launched during the two-day event.

Before it was identified with citrus and oranges, Kasibu, also home to the world-class cave system, was known as a major producer of squash and has produced the country’s biggest squash.