Team Out of Town
MIMAROPA Festival 2018 in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro
Mamburao, Philippines — The promising province of Mamburao hosted the 4th year of MIMAROPA Festival, with activities held from tuna sports fishing, agritourism fair, dance parade, tourism night, pageant, and the much-awaited dance parade competition.
Select media were able to witness once again the vibrant festivity last November 16 to 18, thanks to the effort of the Department of Tourism (MIMAROPA) and hospitality of the Mamburao municipality and locals.
We were able to travel to San Jose, Mindoro via flight in Clark, Pampanga. It was a swift 45-minute flight with Philippine Airlines’ Bombardier Q400.
Occidental Mindoro: A Laid-Back Destination in the Country
Our beautiful beaches are no-stranger to local and foreign tourists – but there are also untapped places which are waiting to be visited – take for example, the beautiful province of Occidental Mindoro.
Located at the southwest coast of Batangas, one can easily reach this tranquil province via RORO Ferry from Batangas via the seaport of Abra de Ilog in the north or flight to San Jose Mindoro, either Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines.
Here are some tourist sites you should visit soon in Occidental Mindoro:
- Onoda Trails and Caves
- Apo Reef and Natural Park
- Bukal Spring
- Tubahin Rock Formation
- Pandan Island Marine Sanctuary
- Calawagan Mountain Resort
- Hulagaan Falls
- Kansuli Beach
- Grace Island
And more…
During the tourism night held at the Capitol Training Center, the Congresswoman of Occidental Mindoro Josephine Y. Ramirez-Sato shares that MIMAROPA is the strongest region of MIMAROPA and that this region plays an essential part in providing food in the country, dubbing them as the rising “Food Basket of the Philippines.”
She also pointed out the heroism of the farmers which plays a huge role in boosting agriculture.
The Grand Street Parade
We headed over at the Mamburao Town to witness the highlight of the festival, which was the Grand Street Dance Competition. Compared to 2017, this year’s grand street competition was divided into two judging areas; the Station 1 at the Nuestro Senora Del Pilar Parish and the Station 2, at the corner of Mindoro West Coastal-Capitol West Road. Although smaller than the venue in Odiongan Romblon, the delegates were able to maximize its space to do their routines with huge props in a span of 10 minutes each.
As expected, each delegate did an awe-inspiring performance portraying each provinces’ rich festival, values, tradition, and culture.
In the end, Romblon ranked on 5th place, Oriental Mindoro on 4th, Calapan going on 3rd place, Puerto Princesa in 2nd place, and Occidental Mindoro bringing home grand prize for the 3rd time, with a cash prize of PHP 300,000.
The event was capped off with a firework display and live performance from 6cyclemind.
History:
MIMAROPA stands for Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan. The five governors of MIMAROPA were the brainchild of the vibrant festivity and was held executed in 2015. This festival turned to be a great platform for their region to showcase their products and services, culture, and most of all, be able to exhibit their products and service, as well as showcase their locals’ arguably impressive talents.
Also Read: Top 10 Festivals to Look Out For In the Philippines (2018 Edition)
