BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — A barangay in Tabuk City has cancelled its annual festival and instead used the budget to provide food relief to residents amid the ongoing crisis.
Masablang Punong Barangay Randy Amano said they realigned their festival funds to purchase sacks of rice and trays of eggs, which were distributed to all households in the community on April 4, 2026.
“Diyay pondo nga nakalap nga usaren nga para fiesta, naigatang iti bagas ken itlog nga maibunong iti tunggal bubong ditoy barangay tayo. Babaen iti daytoy nga addang, mamati kami, nga uray kaskas-ano, ket makatulong nga mang ep-ep iti nakaru nga problema tayo iti taraon iti inaldaw,” Amano said.
(The funds intended for the fiesta were used to buy rice and eggs, which were distributed to every household in our barangay. Through this, we believe it can somehow ease the burden of daily food needs.)
Each of the barangay’s 316 households received a 10-kilogram sack of rice and a tray of eggs.
While recognizing the importance of the festival for his constituents, Amano said the decision was to help families cope with the impact of the crisis on household budgets.
“Imbes nga ag-fiesta, ad-adda a napateg nga matulungan dagiti pamilya, nangruna iti taraon,” he said.
(Instead of holding a fiesta, it is more important to help families, especially with food.)
The move complies with the Department of the Interior and Local Government memorandum urging local government units to exercise prudence and restraint in holding festivities amid the ongoing oil crisis.
Tabuk City government has also earlier announced the scaling down of its Matagoan Festival activities to reduce spending amid the crisis. **JDP/RGA-PIA CAR
