Lanao del Norte’s Sagingan Festival

I remembered writing this article over a year ago. But for some reason, I decided to post it on a later date. But, I didn’t realize it would take this long. This was my home town’s yearly Sagingan Festival and this one I’m sharing here was the one that took place on October 17, 2019.

Today, Tubod, Lanao del Norte celebrates an awesome festival that the rest of the country should definitely check out. Actually, I had not been able to experience this event since I graduated high school, and I’m thankful that I’m back here right now after so many years, finally sharing in the marvel of this event.

I am talking about Sagingan Festival, something that happens every mid-October. Like most other native fiestas in the country, Sagingan is a celebration of Lanao del Norte’s produce, from fresh produce to a wide variety of handicrafts. It’s a week full of fun when streets are inundated with the bright yellows and enticing greens of bananas, which is the main product of the region. Lanao’s cultural tradition comes to the fore, hailing its two most precious assets: its people, and its bountiful land. What’s even better is that the whole affair is a joint effort between the government and private individuals, boosting the solidarity of the people.

Lanao del Norte is famous for being a banana-growing province, and Tubod is among the biggest contributors to this name. In fact, over 30 different varieties of bananas come from Tubod! I’m pretty sure we could all name at least 3 or 4 varieties of bananas, but 30? This is just a mark of the great abundance that is Lanao del Norte, and the core of the Sagingan Festival.

Early to Rise

The festivities in the street start early — 7AM, to be exact. I had to wake up earlier than usual, and much earlier than 7AM in order to join in on the fun. Of course, I have to feed Coco, our huggable pug puppy first. Then come the chores… sweeping the front and back yard, and cooking rice. Yep, I had to be the one to cook today, so that when my wife and kids are finally up, they could have breakfast ready. Hey, don’t mistake me for the “tigasin” of the house, though — my wife usually takes care of the cooking, but I had to get on her good side today so I get passes to watch the parade *wink*wink*. Too bad she doesn’t really want to go to the early morning festivities, but so I might as well take it up alone.

I had to choose carefully where to park when I finally got out. Jollibee was the perfect place, since that’s where the parade will pass through exactly. It’s a good thing I was early, since the festivities made parking spaces really scarce.

The parade kicked off with — what else! — a colorful column of carabaos pulling decorated karomatas. These beasts of burden couldn’t look less burdened today, as they are dressed to the nines in bright colors and all sorts of adornments. From flowers to crepe paper, from tassels to cloth, these carabaos filled the streets with color. In fact, some might have difficulty recognizing them as carabaos! Most of them had been painted from hooves to horns, too.

The karomatas they pull are mostly fashioned after the traditional nipa hut, in various shapes and trappings. Some look like local versions of pagodas, while some come closer to the looks of MMFF floats. There are even a couple who looks more like miniature versions of city halls and other local structures. Of course, the people that ride with them are also in local costume.

Then came the thunderous cheer and applause that heralded the start of the street dancing! It’s pretty amazing when you see these sprightly dancers covered in outfits that make them look like fresh produce themselves.

No, really — you’d see rows upon rows of people moving in near-perfect unison, joyfully prancing to local and modern beats, adorned in vibrant yellows and greens. On their heads and waists are decorations made from bananas, just as bright as the colors they are wearing. They are also holding banner-like props that proclaim their local barangays. Some delegations, instead of focusing on bananas, focused instead on other fresh products such as flowers and vegetables.

There are also those whose costumes pertain to the qualities of the earth as a whole, adorned in bark-like brown costumes, leopard prints, and tassels that look pretty much like vines in a forest.

An exhibit of culture

Of course, the Sagingan Festival cannot be complete without the Agri- and Aqua-booth display at the town plaza! This is just part of the many events that comprise the Sagingan Festival.

I headed over to the Tubod Parish Church, whose front served as the host for the displays. Aside from the evident presence of the many sponsors, it’s a wonder to look at the various booths that entered the competition. They’re a long way from your usual exhibit booths — in fact, they features the same craftsmanship and creativity as the karomatas and the street dance costumes earlier. Inside the booths are either displays of the various competitors’ farm-fresh products, along with a short plug on how they are grown. Some also focus on the technological or procedural breakthroughs that they have made, to channel the richness of the earth into their products. It’s great for the perpetually curious!

Another activity that the Sagingan Festival presents is the Farm Family Day. This allows both tourists and locals to go one step further than the booths and actually look at the farms and how they practice sustainable agriculture. This highlights the ecological treasures of Lanao del Norte, and is a feast for those who rarely see this level of rural development.

Yes, it’s true — there are lots of feasts in the Philippines that showcase a golden segment of our rich culture. But each one shines on its own virtue, and down here in the south, Lanao del Norte’s Sagingan Festival exhibits the best that the region has to offer. It doesn’t matter if you’re bananas for bananas and other fresh produce — if you’re down here and would like to see a celebration of color and gaiety while extolling the richness of the Mindanaoan earth, you can’t go wrong with Sagingan.