Negros’ Panaad Festival opens

BACOLOD CITY — One need not visit the 13 cities and 19 municipalities of Negros Occidental to experience what they offer.

For nine days in April, locals and tourists alike troop to the 25-hectare, eucalyptus tree-lined Panaad Park and Sports Complex in Barangay Mansilingan here to witness a "festival of festivals" showcasing Negros Occidental’s history, arts, culture, sports and tourist attractions, and business potentials.

The Panaad sa Negros Festival, which officially opened last Saturday, takes its name from the Hiligaynon term for promise or vow.

This year’s festival focuses on the theme "Tatak Negros (Proudly Negros-Made)" to highlight the successes of the province in the manufacture of world-class furniture, household items, handicrafts and children’s garments; the production of cutflowers and ornamentals, prawns, and high-value fruits and vegetables; and even the breeding of champion gamefowl.

Launched in 1993, Panaad is known for its colorful and jubilant showcase of the individual festivals of the 13 cities and 19 municipalities of Negros Occidental.

It also brings together the 32 local government units in an array of theme pavilions showcasing their respective history, arts and culture, tourism attractions, and trade activities.

The festival lures most of the 2.6 million-strong Negrenses, their balikbayan relatives and friends, who get a glimpse of the best of the different towns and cities in the uniquely designed pavilions, cultural presentations and friendly contests for beauty, talent and skills, and sports competitions.

Visitors come to partake of the Negrense cuisine — from the famous Bacolod inasal (barbecued chicken), native delicacies such as piaya, fresh lumpia, puto’t kutchinta and suman latik of Silay City to the fresh marine produce of Ilog, Himamaylan, Cadiz and Sagay.

One can also have his share of the peanut crackers of San Carlos, puto (rice cakes) and pinasugbo (dried and caramelized banana) of Manapla, peanut balls and kamias jam of Kabankalan, refined sugar and canned foods of Victorias, and the tropical fruits of La Carlota, Don Salvador Benedicto, Murcia, Pontevedra and La Castellana.

Aside from these products, the different cities and towns also present its best tourism destinations, including the rice terraces and Sipaway Island of San Carlos; caves, Jomabo Island and Rio Dome houses of Escalante; vintage Iron Dinosaur, Carbin Reef and Vito Church of Sagay; butterfly farm and Lakawon Island of Cadiz; Victorias Milling Company, Gawahon Falls and the Angry Christ at St. Joseph Church of Victorias; San Diego Pro-Cathedral, Balay Negrenses and Patag Mountain Resort of Silay; Campuestohan Highland, lanzones farm of Concepcion; and the Sweet Greens farm and Tana Dikang House of Talisay.

Bago showcases its Kipot Falls and Buenos Aires Resort; La Carlota, its Guintubdan; Himamaylan, its Acapulco Spring Resort; Kabankalan, its Balicaocaoa Resort and Mag-aso Falls; Sipalay, its Maricalum Bay and white sand beaches; Don Salvador Benedicto, its Lantawan Deck and pine tree plantation; Calatrava, its monkey sanctuary; Toboso, its Daliason Falls; Manapla, its Balulan beach, Seaside Resort, Cartwheel Chapel and Gaston ancestral house; EB Magalona, its rice terraces and century-old mangroves; Murcia, its Mambukal Resort and golf course; Pulupandan, its Jewel Restaurant; Valladolid, its Sunset Boulevard and century-old Guadalupe Church; Pontevedra, its ECJ Farms and modern St. Michael Archangel Church; La Castellana, its Hacienda Luisa Botanical Garden, cable car, and Mt. Kanlaon; Hinigaran, its Canonoy beach and Paradiso; Isabela, its Glory Hill; and Cauayan, its caves, Danjugan Island and Bulata beach.

Known traditionally as a sugar producer, Negros Occidental has in recent years purposely driven itself to diversify its economy.