NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) is preparing for the Ubi Festival in the early part of next year following the minimum health standard protocols set by Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF).
The Ubi Festival is the annual activity of the provincial government aimedat giving awards and recognition of the BoholanoUbi growers who have continued to engage in planting Ubi especially the UbiKinampay.
Rosanna G. Lamdagan, Chief-Agribusiness Division, OPA said that usuallythat the festival be conducted on the 3rd week of January, however, this time of pandemic activities would be limited.
She said that during the Management Committee (ManCom) meeting of OPA last Monday presided by Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas it was agreed that the festival would be celebrated for the duration of five days at the CPG Park fronting the Bohol Wisdom School, CPG North Avenue, the ART Tabosa Bohol venue with only three contests namely: Highest Volume Ubi Display, Pinaka and Most Outstanding Ubi grower who is a member of Bohol Ubi Growers’ Association (BUGA) unlike the past Ubi festival celebrations.
Last January 28-31, 2020, the festival was savored by the different contests with big prizes at stake to wit: Best Booth, Ubi Eating, Literary & Musical Contests (BugnosaRondalya, UbiBalitaw, Doble Kara), Pinaka, Best New Ubi Processed Product, and Highest Volume of Ubi Display contests.
The BUGA has now preparing their Ubi production to be sold at the festival.
EsmeraldoMaligsa, BUGA president said that few of the more than 150 members of BUGA scattered in the 26 known Ubi towns in Bohol have started to harvest their planted Ubi.
Maligsa said that during their meeting last Wednesday held at the BUGA Ubi Demo Farm in Pandol, Corella they agreed to reserve much of their harvests for the festival.
He said that the province could expect the big volume of Ubi tubers to be produced this harvest season considering the big areas being planted with Ubi.
The association with the strong support given by the PGBh through the OPA has established a demo farm in Pandol, Corella in an area of 1.2 hectares (has.) wherein this cropping season about .8 ha. of these has been planted with the different varieties especially Kinampay.
RufaUgay, High Value Crop Development Coordinator, OPA said that in the Ubi Demo Farm during the planting season on April and May about 12,100 kilos of Ubi planting materials had been given by the provincial government to BUGA of which the BUGA president would be very grateful to the PGBh as he also thanked the Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Office (PATCO) who also gave 300 kilos of Ubi planting materials.
The OPA has to outline any measures to ensure that the minimum health standard should be strictly followed or implemented in this time of COVID-19 pandemic in the celebration of Ubi Festival’21. (Atoy Cosap)