BONTOC, Mtn. Province – Come on April 4 for the Lang-ay on the Street!
That was the invitation of Congressman Maximo Dalog, Jr. to the public in his message during the opening program of the Lang-ay Festival on April 1, 2024. His office will be sponsoring the Lang-ay on the Street, a yearly event as part of the Lang-ay Festival, when the main street from the Circle to the Junction of Omfeg Street in front of the Eastern Gasoline Station will be closed from 2:00 PM onwards on April 4.
This event is one of the most attended editions of Lang-ay every year. The others are the street dancing and cultural presentations.
The essence of Lang-ay is mostly felt here as “watwat” and the indigenous food and wines shared by the municipalities will be served.
Expressing pride and oneness to the commemoration of the 57th Foundation Day and 17th Lang-ay Festival, Congressman Dalog manifested his happiness to celebrate the history and cultures of the province and people while “we work out for the growth of our province with inclusivity and solidarity.
He also acknowledged the former leaders and people who helped shape the province to what it is today, their sacrifices and contributions to development.
Echoing the theme “Strength in Diversity: Celebrating Inclusivity and Solidarity, Dalog cited that the cultural heritage binds the people belonging to different tribes and cultures to celebrate with oneness and solidarity for all.
Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr, for his part in the program, thanked the Lord for the blessings in the past years as “we assess what we have done in the past and plan what we can do in the future”.
“May the guidance and blessings of the Almighty be with us. Let us all participate and enjoy this occasion”, he quipped.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Director Juliet Lucas, in her message, recounted how the name of the Lang-ay Festival came to be. She also batted for the promotion of the agri-trade fair products being sold at the provincial plaza.
Department of Agriculture Regional Director Atty. Jennilyn Dawayan awarded DA projects and interventions for some farmers organizations and associations in the province during the opening program of the trade fair.
Details of the projects and their budgets were not secured as of press time.
The Lang-ay Festival will last until April 6 when the street dancing and cultural presentations will be conducted in a program with Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco as the Guest of Honor and Speaker.
The 57th Foundation Anniversary commemoration program will happen on the following day, April 7, at the provincial plaza.
Those who graced the opening program were the mayors, vice mayors, and Sangguniang Bayan members, national, provincial, and municipal employees, barangay officials, and representatives of Peoples’ Organizations.**ROGER SACYATEN
