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Quirino

Panagdadapun Festival

Panagdadapun Festival is the founding anniversary and a celebration of indigenous people in the province of Quirino, Philippines every September 6 to 10.

Its five-day schedule also coincides with Araw ng Quirino Foundation.

Activities are held in Cabarroguis, the capital of the province. The biggest cultural festival in the province, it is a gathering of various fests of its constituent localities.

History of Panagdadapun Festival

Panagdadapun Festival comes from the word panagdadapun, which is a word in Ilocano language that means gathering. The high point of the fest is the Araw ng Quirino Foundation, which translates to Quirino Foundation Day, that celebrates the founding of the province. It was put on hold in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic and revived in 2022.

History of Quirino

Quirino is located along the upper floodplains of Cagayan River. Its neighboring provinces are Aurora, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya. All of these provinces are part of the Cagayan Valley Region alongside Batanes and Cagayan.

Quirino was named after the Philippine president Elpidio Quirino and consisted of forested of then Nueva Viczaya. It was the homeland of the Negritos, the aboriginal group of people who lived in and subsisted on sustenance offered by the forest. Other ethno-linguisitic groups include Bugkalots, Dumagats, Gaddang, Ifugaos, and Isinays.

Then it became a subprovince of Nueva Vizcaya when Republic Act No. 4734 was approved on June 18, 1966. It was composed of the towns of Aglipay, Diffun, Maddela, and Saguday. Then the municipality of Cabarroguis was carved from a part of territories comprising the town of Aglipay through Republic Act No. 5554 that was approved on June 21, 1969.

The province became an independent province when it ceded from Nueva Vizcaya by virtue of Republic Act No. 6394 that was approved on September 10, 1971. This is the date that Panagdadapun Festival and Araw ng Quirino Foundation commemorates.

Later, the municipality of Nagtipunan was created from the town of Maddela by the approval of Batasang Pambansa Blg. 345 on February 25, 1983.

Panagdadapun Festival Activities

Activities at Panagdadapun Festival are a showcase of public service, cultural heritage, competitions, and presentations. Its calendar includes medical and dental services, job fair, a grand exhibit where ethnic arts and crafts are in display and available for sale, pet shows, a competition of native games, talent contests, environmental causes like tree planing and waste management, sporting events, a grand parade where street dancers are contingents representing the cultural fests of the localities, and street dancing.

In addition, the entire celebration is a platform to promote tourism of many attractions of the province such as waterfalls, rapids at the Cagayan River, and other natural wonders.

Search for Binibining Quirino

Search for Binibining Quirino is the annual beauty pageant. At the height of coronavirus pandemic, it was moved online and the viewing public can stream the contest through different social media platforms.

Quirino Motorismo

Quirino is a landlocked area, and it boasts of the popular Quirino Motorismo. It was not conducted in 2022 due to the threats of COVID-19. Established in 2015, the activity features various competitive events.

How to reach Quirino

You can take a bus ride from Metro Manila (overnight) or Baguio which would take about two hours or more. Another option is to take a flight to Cauayan Airport of Isabela followed by a two-hour land trip or Tuguegarao Airport with three-hour bus trip.

References

Panagdadapun Festival Summary

NamePanagdadapun Festival
CelebrationCulture, Founding, Indigenous People
CountryPhilippines
DateSeptember 6 to 10
DurationFive days
Facebookweb.facebook.com
LocationQuirino
OrganizerProvincial Government of Quirino
Simultaneous eventAraw ng Quirino Foundation
Websitequirino.gov.ph