The provincial government of Quezon will hold a festival dubbed ‘Niyog-yugan’ on Aug. 14 as part of the week-long celebration of the 134th birth anniversary of Manuel Quezon and to boost the coconut industry in the province.
Provincial Tourism Officer Alberto Bay Jr. said it was the first time the province will be staging a common festival that will showcase the coconut and present the festive, lively and colorful traditions of its people.
Aleta Suarez, former Quezon representative, said that by highlighting the uses of the coconut, its tree, fruit, and everything made from it, the festival will be a sights and sounds spectacle celebrating the coconut as their major source of livelihood.
“The Niyog-yugan festival or the ‘celebration of the tree of life’ derives from the word ‘niyog’ (coconut) and ‘yugyug’ (to dance to a beat),” Suarez said.
All 39 towns and two cities will celebrate the festival with a dancing parade and activities based on the culture and spiritual traditions in the province using coconuts as costumes, sets and props.
The festival will be highlighted by a float parade, street dancing and the search for the festival queen.
Meanwhile, The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Quezon provincial office along with Consumernet member-agencies, business sector representatives, local government units (LGU), youth representatives, and the local media and academe of Quezon province and other provinces in Region IV-A are scheduled to attend the upcoming multi-sectoral Calabarzon consumer assembly on Aug. 17.
DTI Quezon provincial director Marcelina Alcantara said the consumer assembly, to be held at Sol y Viento resort, Calamba City, Laguna aims to solicit regional cooperation/support for potential projects/programs that may address the challenges facing Filipino consumers.
Alcantara also said it was also a prelude to the National Consumer Assembly set on October 2012 in celebration of consumer protection month.
There will be an open forum in the morning while sectoral workshop in the afternoon to make or formulate sectoral projects or programs for consumer education and protection.