Amid the summer heat, thousands gathered to witness the first Kanen Festival of this town and partook in some 40,000 pieces of delicious and colorful native rice cakes in boodle fight style.

The native rice cake makers in the town prepared slices of latik, bibingka, pininat, biko, turonket, unda-unday, suman, sapin-sapin, and palitaw.

The delicacies were placed on a long stretch of tables along the main thoroughfare.

“Ito yong delicacies kung saan ang mga materials ay galing sa Urbiztondo. Magandang klase yong ansakket namin dito (The delicacies’ materials were all from Urbiztondo. Our glutinous rice which is the main ingredient is of good quality),” Mayor Modesto Operania said in an interview.

Vice President Sara Duterte, who was guest of honor and speaker, congratulated the local government unit and its people while Operania said it was a “momentous” day to mark the town’s 171st founding anniversary on Saturday.

“We honor God for all the blessings he has bestowed on us. (Today) we celebrate the harvest of our land,” Operania said.

He added that with the success of the festival, they are contemplating joining the Guinness Book of World Records in the future.

The festival will also be an annual event from now on since it was institutionalized through a resolution passed by the Sangguniang Bayan.

“Saludo po ako sa mga residente ng Urbiztondo. Hindi kayo sumuko sa dala ng pandemic. Kayo ay nagkakaisa para sa muling pagbangon ng Urbiztondo (I salute the residents of Urbiztondo. You did not give up during the pandemic. You are united for Urbiztondo to bounce back),” Duterte said in her speech.

The Vice President also encouraged the residents to avail of her office’s livelihood program, “MagNegosyo ka ‘Day,” which offers capital and training, including to persons with disabilities and the youth.

“Dito pwedeng pondohan at magbigay training para lalago ang mga negosyo (Through this program, we offer funds and training to help them in business),” she said. (PNA)