After two long years of being held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the city government of Biñan City, Laguna was finally able to once again exhibit two of its major cultural products in a showcase of talent and ingenuity called the Puto Latik Festival.
The Puto Latik Festival, which started in 2011, celebrates and promotes two icons of Biñan City’s economy and culture: the Puto Biñan, one of the city’s most famous delicacies, and the Maglalatik dance.
And this year, despite bad weather marring the opening ceremonies of the Puto Latik Festival last May 15, the city government was able, to some extent, to bring back the fun and gaiety that Biñanenses had all desperately missed during the pandemic.
Easing back into the “old normal”
According to BJ Borja, head of the Biñan City Culture, History, Arts and Tourism Office (BCHATO), easing back into the "old normal" of celebrating the Puto Latik Festival after two years of online celebrations wasn't as hard as his office had thought it would be.
"Ang natutunan ko kasi sa pag-oorganisa ng ating festival is, ang festival ay hindi pwedeng festival lamang," he added.
"You always go back to its historicity. Ano ba kasi ang dahilan kung bakit natin cine-celebrate ang Puto Latik Festival? It's to promote our two major cultural products: the Puto Biñan and the Maglalatik dance. Kung alam mo ang pinanggagalingan mo, hindi ka mahihirapang maghanay ng mga programa.”
However, Borja has acknowledged that people’s attitudes towards fiestas have significantly changed during the two-year course of the pandemic.
With the runaway success of the BCHATO’s online celebrations of the Puto Latik Festival in the past two years, some Biñanenses have expected that this year’s programs will also be held via the Internet and social media.
“Ang napansin ko ngayon, di ba pwede na tayong mag-face to face [events], like yung mga pageant. Pero ang daming nagtatanong sa aking kung pwede ba raw natin itong i-live [sa Facebook],” he related.
“Pero ang point ko kasi kung bakit ibinabalik natin ang physical events ay ito: ang mga festival ay dapat mong ma-experience nang live, para ma-immerse ka sa ‘magic’ ng mga festival.”
Line-up of events
Aside from the usual line-up of events for the Biñan Puto Latik Festival, like the Maglalatik Dance Competition and the much-anticipated Puto Biñan Cook-off Challenge – where Puto Biñan makers and ordinary citizens can put their own twist on Biñan’s famed delicacy – Borja said they have decided to incorporate some programs that had been indefinitely postponed during the two-year pandemic.
These include the Mr. and Ms. Biñan and the Miss Biñan Gay Queen pageants.
“My point is, kailangan na nating tapusin ang mga programang ito kasi this is a commitment made already by the city government,” Borja emphasized.
“So that if ever pwede pa rin next year na magdaos ng ganitong mga programa, we can start with a clean slate.”
Festivals as form of healing
This year’s festival – being held so close after the 2022 national and local elections which had divided not only the country but Biñan City as well – is also extra special to Borja, in the sense that this could be the perfect occasion to foster healing among a divided populace.
The BCHATO head sees the Puto Latik Festival as a way to showcase the deep cultural and economic bonds that can help much at efforts of reconciliation after the bitterness of this year’s polls.
“Ang kaya kong sabihin ay, maaaring gamitin ang mga festival na gaya nito for healing,” he told OpinYon Laguna. “Gaya ng nangyari noong pandemic: nagawa nating instrument ang festival na ito upang ma-promote hindi lamang ang mga negosyanteng Biñanense kundi pati na rin ang talentong Biñanense.”
Top taxpayers feted
Meanwhile, for their contributions to the socio-economic progress of Biñan City, Laguna amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the city's "Top Ten" taxpaying businesses for 2021 were honored at the "City of Life Awards 21022 held Friday night (May 20).
These companies include:
1. Isuzu Philippines Corporation
2. Inabata Phils. Inc.
3. Atlas Copco Phis. Inc.
4. Nagasa Phils. International Services Corp.
5. Gardenia Bakeries (Philippines) Inc.
6. Elematec Philippines Inc.
7. Kodo (Philippines) Inc.
8. Amherts Laboratories, Inc.
9. Toyota Boshoku Philippines Corp.
10. Cummins Sales and Service Philippines, Inc.
In his speech during the event, Biñan City Mayor Arman Dimaguila noted that the billions of pesos collected from the large industrial complexes and businesses in the city now comprise 40 percent of the city’s total tax revenues.
As a result, the city government no longer has to depend largely on its internal revenue allotment (IRA) from the national government, enabling it to provide more quality services for its people.
"You are not just taxpayers - you are stakeholders, partners of the city government. Maraming salamat po sa inyo," the mayor said.
Big Three’s message
No one is happier with the resumption of physical activities for the Puto Latik Festival than Biñan City's "Big Three" leaders: Mayor Arman Dimaguila, Vice Mayor Gel Alonte, and Representative Len Alonte.
Fresh from their victory in the May 9 elections, the three leaders also used the occasion to express their gratitude to Biñanenses and vow to work even harder for the city.
In his message, Mayor Dimaguila encouraged his constituents to join not only in the festivities but also in the efforts of the local government to fully recover from the economic impact of the pandemic.
“Nais ko pong pasalamatan lahat ng Biñanense sa napakagandang suporta na ipinakita ninyo sa ‘Big Three.’ Makiisa po tayo, maki-join po tayo, makisayaw po tayo,” Dimaguila said in his message during the festivities.
"Doble po ang ating pasasalamat para sa ating lungsod, hindi lamang po dahil sa nakaraang eleksyon, kundi pagpapasalamat po ito sa bawat Biñanense na patuloy na nakikiisa sa pamahalaan, at nagbubunyi at nagiging proud para sa ating minamahal na bayan," Rep. Alonte added.
“Asahan po ninyo na susuklian po namin [ang inyong suporta] ng paglilingkod nang tama at may malasakit para sa lungsod ng Biñan,” Vice Mayor Gel also vowed.