CELEBRATIONS are up in Ifugao province.
Ifugao is set to celebrate its 50th founding anniversary this week with the Gotad, which will gather stakeholders and visitors to the highland town.
Festivities started June 11 until June 18 completing the weeklong revelries of the Gotad ad Ifugao.
With a "Haggiyo, Ifugao," the celebration will be highlighted by a civic parade capped with 2016 Ifugao Achievers' Awards to recognize the outstanding achievements of the Ifugaos in the field of public service, politics, education, culture, military service, business, academic excellence and other exemplary and heroic achievements.
An Indigenous Culinary Arts Competition featuring delicacies from the eleven towns, an OFW Open Forum which provides an opportunity for locals living or working abroad to share their thoughts and aspirations.
The annual Agri-Industrial Trade Fair also opens showcasing the booths of the different municipalities with various products together with the Statistical Extravaganza and Photo Exhibit which features old and new photographs of Ifugao people, culture, crafts, rituals and lifestyle.
Also, an exhibition of the School of Living Traditions (SLT) aims to provide a cultural space for visitors and younger generations to appreciate but more importantly to learn their culture and traditions.
An Ifugao Development Symposium is also slated to become a venue for discussion on development efforts, accomplishments and future directions of the province.
The crowd drawing Cultural Sports Competition is set on the 16th which features the traditional games in the province aimed to rekindle the interest and awareness of the younger generation of the richness and importance of ethnic games.
On June 17, there will be a Float Contest which will feature the success and achievements of the province on its 50th year.
"Gotad," is an Ifugao term which refers to a large gathering of people, as it also refers to certain phases of prestige rites where people far and near converge in the village of the family hosting the event.
It is during the Gotad where merry making and drinking of baya, dancing takes place.
In Ifugao where festivals have been established for over 15 years, the Department of Tourism said the area has established a steady stream of followers in the past decades.
Ifugao festivals have been sustained by the local government unit more closely and have asked the tourism department to help in its promotion and further training of stakeholders.
Records show Ifugao has been the top destination among foreign visitors because of it world renowned terraces and beauty of adjoining towns.