ALL is set for the month-long celebration of “Adivay”, a coming together in the province of Benguet.
Instead of rituals for celebrations, traditional rituals will take center stage to sympathize with those who perished during past calamities in the province.
The festival will kick off with a thanksgiving during the foundation day set on November 23 with a parade followed by the awards night.
A “pammakan” ritual will be held, where pigs will be butchered and offered to the gods along with rice wine to bless the casualties of previous calamities that struck the province.
This will be followed by a “daw-es” and “pakde”.
More than 60 activities are lined up for the celebration of Adivay, including an agri fair that highlights different products and services from the 13 municipalities.
Provincial Agriculturist Lolita Bentres assured the display of products will continue despite the few products as compared to the previous years. The fair also serves as meeting point of both producers and buyers.
Adivay Festival was first staged in 2005. "Adivay" is an Ibaloi term that means "coming together". The celebration is a gathering of Benguet's 13 towns in this provincial capital, with focus on the culture and products of the municipalities.
This year’s celebration carries the theme, "Benguet Culture - Unity, Industry, Prosperity: Managing Adversaries with Excellence thru Enhanced Indigenous Resilience”.
It will feature the rich history, traditions, arts, music, culture, sports and trades and industries of the province from November 5 to December 9 with a proposed budget of P6.9 million.
Activities include the Small-Scale Mining and Land Congress, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Summit, Agro-Tourism Fair, and Environmental Forum.
A First Aid Safety Olympics will be held for elementary and high school students representing the 14 school districts of the province. The activity aims to enhance the students’ capability in giving first aid assistance.