All roads led to the City of Ilagan one fine morning immediately after the onslaught of typhoons Egay and Falcon.
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The City of Ilagan, Isabela’s capital and the largest city by land area, on this side of Cagayan Valley, is known for its Mammangi Festival (from mangui or corn in the local Ibanag dialect). As the name implies, this festival celebrates the corn harvest and the corn farmers of Ilagan which is known to be the Corn Capital of the Philippines.
From Aug. 1 to 13, 2023, the city came to life with colorful parades and harvest offerings by the farmers. Started in 2011, the festival also features much anticipated occasions like the vivid buoy parade and road moving exhibitions executed by youthful Ilagueño artists wearing local ensembles made of indigenous materials.
Mammangi Festival made a grand comeback this year after a three year hiatus due to the health pandemic that beset not only the city but the world. After months of preparation and a week of final rehearsal, the festival officially started with the opening ceremonies of Tienda Ilagan featuring agrieco tourism booths at the City of Ilagan Promenade followed by a Thanksgiving Mass at the city’s St. Ferdinand Parish Church on August 7.
Mammangi Eco-tourism Booths
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The Agri Eco Tourism Village offered visitors a close look at “Understanding the Liveable City of Ilagan 2030 Vision,” with each participant highlighting their products and services. The booth also showcased each barangay's creativity while displaying and selling its agricultural produce and other products.
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The festival that was opened through the agri-eco tourism booths highlighted the diverse and bountiful products of the city. The festival was originally set in the last week of May 2023 but due to weather disturbances then it was rescheduled from Aug. 1 to 13, 2023, making it a back-to-back celebration with the city’s 11th Cityhood anniversary.
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The booths also serve as platform for local entrepreneurs to showcase their products, promote local trade, and invigorate the city's economy.
Binibining Ilagan 2023
The Monday festivity of August 7 was capped by the highly anticipated Binibining Ilagan 2023 Grand Finals and Coronation Night held at the City of Ilagan Sports Complex hosted by Miss Universe Philippines 2021 and Miss Universe 2021 Top five winner Beatrice Luigi Gomez who did a remarkable job as pageant host together with GMA’s Carlo “Kaloy” Tingcungco. After a colorful presentation—costume, swimsuit, gown and casual wear and the gruelling Q & A, a towering beauty from Marana 1st, Kristine Joy D. Guzman, 20, was proclaimed Binibining Ilagan 2023.
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Barangay Night and Awarding of Sikan Na Ilagan and Outstanding Ilagueños 2023
The second day, August 8, was another exciting night for the Ilagueños with the Barangay Night and Awarding of Sikan Na Ilagan and Outstanding Ilagueños 2023 held at Ilagan Community Center.
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City Mayor Josemarie L. Diaz, Vice Mayor Kiryll S. Bello, and the Sangguniang Panlungsod officials lead the awarding rites, which gathered representatives from the City of Ilagan’s 91 barangays. No less than Isabela Gov. Rodito Albano III and Vice Gov. Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III honored the awardees with their presence.
The night was capped by modern dance competition with five contingents joining the merry go round. Singer-actress Geneva Cruz and the comedic duo of MC and Lassy provided entertainment and laughter throughout the program.
Mammangi Festival Street Dance and Showdown Competition
The third and last day festivity, August 9, was truly a night to remember with the festival’s highlight, the Mammangi Festival Street Dance and Showdown Competition at the City of Ilagan Sports Complex.
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Braving the scorching heat of the sun in the late afternoon’s parade, and still dancing gleefully and gracefully in their colorful props and costumes bearing the corn harvest, NorthEastern 1 emerged the champion followed by Poblacion 1 and San Antonio 1 each receiving P100,000, P70,000, and P50,000, respectively, as prizes.
Meanwhile, the showdown competition winners were as follows: NorthEastern 2, Poblacion 1, and NorthEastern 1, receiving the same amount respectively, of the street dance contest.
Almost all of the eight contingents had taken the city’s grand vision, “The Liveable City of Ilagan 2030: Adhikain ng Bawat Ilagueño” as the theme and storyline of their dance concept.
The Liveable City of Ilagan 2030: Adhikain ng Bawat Ilagueño
Attended by thousands Ilagueños which nearly filled the sports complex, the same venue was set for the launching ceremonies of the new battle cry of the City of Ilagan: “The Liveable City of Ilagan 2030: Adhikain ng Bawat Ilagueño.”
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Mayor Diaz, the hardworking JLD to many, zealously imparted to his constituents his dreams and aspirations for the city.
The first elected city mayor (2013 midterm elections), JLD reported to the people that he and the city council members have envisioned the city to be a livable city by 2030 in which various programs, projects and services must be achieved to realize the goal of the city to meet the vision.
“The present leaders of the city are guided by five pillars to attain the goal of a livable city namely survivability, sustainability, innovations, mobility, and development respectively,” he stressed.
On top of social services, health, entrepreneurial, education and disaster management projects, Diaz puts premium on infrastructure program. He said the infrastructure development induces economic growth and reduces poverty in the country thereby the LGU City of Ilagan invested on infrastructure development.
Grand concert and fireworks display
Every barangay who participated in the festivity received project prizes from Mayor JLD. This year’s champion, NorthEastern 1, received a whopping P1-M worth of projects. Poblacion 1 got P750,00; Western 1, P500,000; and NorthEastern 2, P250,000, respectively, as first, second, and third runners-up.
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Mammangi Festival 2023 was capped by a grand concert featuring Manila and local artists led by Celeste Legazpi, Dulce, Gino Padilla, and Gigi De Lana, together with the Whiplash Dance Company, Top five Choral Winners, and the Street Dance and Showdown winners. It was followed by another grand display, this time the fireworks, that could rival the beauty and excellence of international pyrotechnics.
Truly, the City of Ilagan was worth our visit by experiencing its thanksgiving activity for a good harvest and honoring its farmers who have been the real foundation of city's economy through the years. We look forward to the city’s robust development in the many Mammangi Festivals to come.