Nueva Ecija holds 1st Costume Festival to showcase province`s culture
(by By Marilyn Galang  10/1/2018)

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija -- Young women from Nueva Ecija's nine towns and one city showed their respective localities' culture on Sunday by donning uniquely designed costumes, specifically, long gowns made of local materials and enhanced by elaborate accessories.

The presentation cum contest was held last Saturday at SM Megacenter here during the province's first Costume Festival, a sequel to the Nueva Ecija Harvest Festival.

The costumes, created by local talents, was aimed at showcasing Novo Ecijanos’ ingenuity and craftsmanship while promoting each locality’s One Town One Product at the same time.

Joanne Z. Bondoc, assistant mall manager of SM Megacenter, said the mall conducted the festival, in cooperation with the Provincial Tourism Office of Nueva Ecija, headed by Lorna Mae Vero, to promote the province as a tourist destination.

Bondoc acknowledged the warm participation of local government units (LGUs), which included the towns of Cabiao, Pantabangan, Jaen, San Antonio, Bongabon, Zaragoza, Gabaldon, Llanera, and Aliaga and the Science City of Muñoz.

Vero said Gov. Czarina Umali strongly believes that tourism will pave the way for more livelihood opportunities for the people of Nueva Ecija.

Since Nueva Ecija is an agricultural province nicknamed the Rice Granary of the Philippines, most of the costumes presented — in vibrant green, yellow, and brown colors —symbolized rice.

Other products, such as walis tambo (broom), milk, fish, vegetables, were also laced to some of the gowns and dresses.

A Filipiniana dress made of dried banana leaves was awarded to the grand winner.

The dress was inspired by the "Taong Putik" costume popularized by the annual Taong Putik Festival honoring St. John The Baptist in Barangay Bibiclat of Aliaga town.

The dress’ bodice was delicately crafted with braided banana leaves, carefully arranged in geometrical patterns.

Created by Jeffrey Valino Malaruat, a native of Aliaga, the winning costume was embellished with braided cross to symbolize the Taong Putik’s religious significance.

The skirt, meanwhile, was adorned with several Taong Putik, while the hair dress, shaped as a Taong Putik, was made of cut banana leaves.

San Antonio town’s nature-inspired floral long gown, accented by tambo and palay, was first runner-up. The details were traces of gold, silver, and green, representing the color of Nueva Ecija.

Llanera town’s costume, which signified industry, perseverance, and heroism of farmers and mixed rice grains and abaca, was the second runner-up. (PNA)

Source: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1049560



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