Typhoon fails to dampen Pangasinan town’s rice fest

AGUILAR, Pangasinan, Philippines – The show must go on.

Not even the bad weather brought by Typhoon Glenda failed to dampen this third-class municipality’s enthusiasm as it proceeded with the holding of its first Ansakket (Glutinous Rice) Festival yesterday to mark its 209th founding anniversary.

 Street dancers performed during the highlight of the five-day festival in honor of the town’s farmers. At stake in the competition was a P25,000 cash prize.

Mayor Eduardo Ballesteros said several Filipino desserts (kakanin) made of glutinous rice like bibingka, suman, bilo-bilo, sapin-sapin, kutsinta, and biko were sold in booths in the town proper. 

The municipal government provided P1,000 capital to each barangay for its festival kakanin.  

“It’s successful because people flocked to the booths and enjoyed the food,” Ballesteros said, adding that all 16 barangays took part in the festival.

Aguilar was founded as a municipality in July 16, 1805, through a decree issued by Governor General Rafael Maria de Aguilar, after whom the town was named.

Local folklore, meanwhile, said the place was identified with an eagle or “agila” that would fly at night and would perch on a fence or “alar” when it got tired of flying.