During the opening ceremony, Mayor Oric Furigay echoed the call for unity and preservation of Lamitan City’s rich cultural heritage. He added that Lami-Lamihan showcases the rich cultural heritage of the native Yakans of Lamitan, the customs and traditions that are uniquely of the people of Lamitan.

“This is even made more joyous by the celebration of the parochial fiesta for Lamitan on June 29. This festivity is all about the joyous, harmonious, coming together of cultures that is uniquely us. This is our tradition, which must be persevered for generations to come,” he emphasized, adding that this year’s theme reflects Lamiteños’ aspirations for a forward-looking city in the years to come.

Furigay stressed further that preserving the city’s culture is one way of showing the Lamiteños’ unity as a people, regardless of the ethnolinguistic groups.

“We are one, working together, harmoniously living together as Lamiteños. This tradition binds us and its observance year after year reminds us of our collective aspirations,” he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Jim Salliman described the 40th Lami-Lamihan festival as more vibrant, full of life, more jovial, more colorful and most of all, a sight worthy to behold and a practice that Lamiteños should all be proud of.

Salliman also narrated the the festival’s origin back to 1983 through the initiative of then Lamitan Mayor Wilfrido Furigay.  He said that from merrymaking, horse races to showcasing traditional Yakan music and dance, the Lami-Lamihan of today has now evolved into a more elaborative presentation of Yakan cultural heritage which were witnessed and participated by both Muslims and Christians.

Salliman further stressed that today’s jovial and colorful festivity is a result of the favorable peace and security condition that the province as a whole is presently enjoying, the constant-to-rising trend of the local economy despite the onslaught of Cocolisap infestation.