DIMIAO, BOHOL. – The three-day activity kicked-off with a grand parade along the national highway of this town last May 29, 2018 and ended-up at Barangay Balbalan where watermelon growers are dense and the opening activity will be held.
Pamakwan (derived from the word pakwan, a Visayan term for watermelon) Festival is the first in its kind who is the brainchild of the Municipal Agriculture Office of the Local Government Unit of Dimiao through its officer-in-charge, Jayrell Adanza and it was duly supported by the municipal officials and partners from the provincial agriculture, private seed companies and the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 7 (ATI-RTC 7).
The objective of this festival is to give recognition among watermelon growers in the town who is tilling their farmlands during hot days to produce these fruit and attract motorists and passersby due to their display along the national highway.
The theme of this first Pamakwan Festival is: Pakwan gasa sa Kahitas-an: Kabuhian sa katawhan, ugmaron og ampingan (Watermelon, a divine providence: source of livelihood that needs to be developed and cared of) is but fitting because it enables to provide additional income to farmers who during off-farming season on rice, they had another alternative for living.
Meanwhile, Dr. Carolyn May O. Daquio, Center Director of ATI-RTC 7 was the invited keynote speaker of the activity whom the agency is an active partner to LGU-Dimiao and a strong implementer in their extension delivery services among clients.
In her speech, Dr. Daquio emphasized how agriculture plays a pivotal role in the community especially that Bohol is a booming tourist destination. She further encouraged and challenged the youth to go or venture into agriculture most especially that Region 7 has already 4 agri-tourism sites, thus, this might be a good avenue among farmers to venture in this kind of endeavor.
Dr. Daquio also expressed her full-support to Pamakwan Festival that even suggested other exciting activities be included in the next year and that ATI-RTC 7 will always be of assistance.
As this developed, Engr. Danilo M. Guivencan, the municipal mayor expressed his sincerest gratitude to the Municipal Agriculture Office as well as to the farmers and other stakeholders who made this activity successful. In his message, he emphasized full support that encouraged the Sangguniang bayan members to institutionalize this event and consider it to the next year’s budgeting.
The remaining two-days of the 1st Pamakwan Festival on May 30-31, 2018 had exciting activities that include Bohol HEAT (Health, Education, Agriculture and Tourism) Caravan; Techno-For a sponsored by ATI-RTC 7; Veterinary Mission; Literary-Musical Contest; Pakwan-Related Games and Contests and oath taking ceremony of the Balbalan Watermelon Growers Association.