NUEVA ECIJA – The display of locally-made gowns with indigenous materials higlighted the Festival of Costumes which is part of the first Harvest Festival celebration held at the SM Megacenter in Cabanatuan recently.
Nine municipalities and one city in Nueva Ecija participated in the festival.
Joanne Z. Bondoc, assistant mall manager of SM Megacenter, said the mall conducted the festival in cooperation with the Provincial Tourism Office of Nueva Ecija headed by Lorna Mae Vero.
THe project is aimed to promote the province as a tourist destination.
Bondoc lauded the local government units (LGUs), which included the towns of Cabiao, Pantabangan, Jaen, San Antonio, Bongabon, Zaragoza, Gabaldon, Llanera, and Aliaga and the Science City of Muñoz.
She expressed hopes that more LGUs will participate in the event next year.
Since Nueva Ecija is an agricultural province nicknamed the Rice Granary of the Philippines, most of the costumes presented in vibrant green, yellow, and brown colors symbolized rice.
A Filipiniana dress made of dried banana leaves was awarded as grand winner.
The dress was inspired by the "Taong Putik" costume popularized by the annual Taong Putik Festival honoring St. John The Baptist in Barangay Bibiclat of Aliaga town.
The dress’ bodice was delicately crafted with braided banana leaves, carefully arranged in geometrical patterns.
Created by Jeffrey Valino Malaruat, a native of Aliaga, the winning costume was embellished with braided cross to symbolize the Taong Putik’s religious significance.
The skirt, meanwhile, was adorned with several Taong Putik, while the hair dress, shaped as a Taong Putik, was made of cut banana leaves.
San Antonio town’s nature-inspired floral long gown, accented by tambo and palay, was first runner-up. The details were traces of gold, silver, and green, representing the color of Nueva Ecija.
Llanera town’s costume, which signified industry, perseverance, and heroism of farmers and mixed rice grains and abaca, was the second runner-up.
Harvest Festival will be an annual celebration in province that will be held every September starting next year coinciding with the commemoration of the “Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija (First Cry of Nueva Ecija)” in 1896 when revolutionaries rose in arms against the Spanish rule.
Grand winner: Municipality of Aliaga
Designer: Jeffrey Malarulat
1st place: Municipality of San Antonio
Designer: Abbog Ocampo and Unding Dizon
2nd place: Municipality of Llanera
Designer: Francis Rigua