BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (PIA) - -  The municipality of Kasibu will be holding its yearly Citrus Festival this month in a bid to promote and sustain their image as the Citrus Capital in Luzon and the country as well.

Mayor Romeo Tayaban said the Citrus Festival will be held on August 17-18 with the theme: “Kasibu, Stepping-up with the Challenges on Sustainable Food Production”.

He said the two-day festival will feature the following programs and activities at the town’s Poblacion such as Grand Parade, Opening Program/Agri Booth Trade Fair, Grand Lunch, Familiarization Tours of Agri-Tourism Sites, Job Fair and Registration of Vital Events, Laro ng Lahi, Cultural Night, Field Day and Farm Activities, Sport Tournament Championship Game, Medical Services and Search for Saniata ti Kasibu Closing Program.

“Our celebration for this year is anchored on unity of our villagers, particularly our farmers and stakeholders in the citrus industry as we collaborate and join together in addressing the challenges being faced by our farmers,” Tayaban said.

He said their municipality is also grateful for the assistance and contributions of various government agencies and private organizations  in improving the lives of farmers in the citrus and vegetable industry.

Tayaban said the improvement of access roads and provision of other infrastructure facilities have greatly helped the citrus and vegetable farmers in their upland town by  making transportation of their products better and faster to the market.

He said the holding of the yearly Citrus Festival will continue to promote their agricultural products as well as their rich cultural practices and traditions in the country’s tourism map.

Marichelle Costales, provincial tourism officer said Citrus has been identified as one of the top high-value crops in the Philippines, with the Cagayan Valley region as one of the major citrus-producing regions, to which Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, belongs.

She said in June 24, 2022, six days before he stepped down as Department of Agriculture Secretary, Dr. William  Dar signed the administrative order declaring Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya with 529 hectares planted with Rutaceae, or citrus cinensis, as the Citrus Capital of Luzon.

Costales said Kasibu is the source of Calamandarin Oranges, Mandarin (Satsuma and Ponkan) and Pomelos and constitutes the majority of the total average production volume per harvesting season.

She said Kasibu is not only known for years as the gateway to the Cagayan Valley region, but it is also famous for its orange varieties grown in the upland villages.

Citrus and vegetables are sold along with stalls on the highway in Nueva Vizcaya, where local and foreign tourists take a pick for their quenching taste or simply buy them as ‘Pasalubong’ or as a token for relatives.

The orange highway is one of the outlets of these products and a venue to promote the crates from Malabing Valley Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc.

From July to January each year, orange and citrus varieties are harvested and brought to different outlets in the province.

This season is considered the peak season of orange and citrus products where tons of them are loaded in wooden crates for distribution to other outlets outside the region.# (OTB/BME/PIA NVizcaya)