Buenavista wins Manggahan cultural competition

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By Mariela Angella Oladive

Hubon Palayag of Buenavista emerged as champion of the Manggahan Festival 2026 Cultural Competition after outperforming four other contingents during the festival’s culminating night May 24 at the Guimaras Provincial Capitol Grounds.

The Buenavista contingent took home the PHP 1.5 million grand prize and swept major special awards, including Best in Story Concept, Best in Choreography, and Best in Performance.

Hubon Bulantihan of Jordan placed first runner-up and received PHP 1 million, along with the Best in Production Design award.

Hubon Balsahan of Sibunag secured second runner-up honors and received PHP 500,000.

The Sibunag contingent also won the Best in Music award.

Consolation prizes worth PHP 250,000 each were awarded to Hubon Panugday of San Lorenzo and Hubon Sadsaran of Nueva Valencia for participating in the competition.

The cultural competition was among the highlights of this year’s Manggahan Festival, themed “Mangoes and More,” which showcased the culture, heritage, and creativity of Guimaras’ five municipalities.

Despite intermittent rains, the contingents pushed through with their performances before a packed audience at the provincial capitol grounds.

During the event, Guimaras Rep. Joaquin Carlos “JC” Rahman Nava announced that each participating local government unit would receive PHP 20 million worth of municipal projects in support of local development and cultural initiatives.

Gov. Ma. Lucille Nava described the event as the “sweet culmination” of the province’s 10-day celebration and thanked organizers and participants for the successful staging of the festival.

“Tonight, we showcased the core identity and uniqueness of each municipality. We proudly celebrated our identity. Guimaras is truly ‘Mangoes and More’ with the sweetest festival,” she said.

Nava also highlighted the festival’s rebranded Manggahan logo, which reflects Guimaras’ “One Island” identity and vision of becoming a premier agri-festival destination.

The redesigned logo features five interlocking colors representing the province’s municipalities, with patterns inspired by banig and patadyong weaving traditions to symbolize unity and interconnectedness.

Its stylized pungago, or mango leaf and pedicel, symbolizes the vitality of summer and the resilience of Guimaras’ agriculture sector.

The 34th Manggahan Festival, held from May 15 to 24, highlighted Guimaras’ world-renowned mangoes, the first product in the Philippines to receive a geographical indication seal, alongside tourism, culture, and community-centered activities.