Tumandok Festival 2024 to Showcase Iloilo’s Cultural Gems

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The Tumandok Festival 2024 will highlight Iloilo’s cultural heritage during this year’s Tourism Month celebration from September 26 to 30, 2024, at SM City Iloilo’s event center.

The five-day festival will feature Iloilo’s gastronomy, agri-tourism, and indigenous materials through fairs, exhibitions, contests, and a fashion show.

The festival will kick off with NAMIT! on Thursday, September 26, at 3:30 p.m. NAMIT!—a Hiligaynon word for “delicious”—will focus on an inter-municipality cooking competition, showcasing both heirloom and contemporary dishes made from locally grown ingredients. The event will highlight traditional Ilonggo food preparations, emphasizing their cultural and nutritional significance.

Another notable event is the inter-municipality On-the-Spot Bayong Painting Contest on Monday, September 30, at 2:30 p.m. This contest promotes environmentally sustainable practices by encouraging the use of handwoven shopping bags made from organic materials such as buri, pandan, and abaca, which are produced by local cooperatives and organizations.

The activity aims to raise awareness of a provincial ordinance signed by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., banning single-use plastics and styrofoam food containers while promoting the use of native, biodegradable alternatives.

The festival’s main attraction is the local products fair, Bugana (abundance), alongside AgriByahe, a specialized rural and farm tourism exhibition. AgriByahe will serve as a platform for developing rural tourism products by connecting agripreneurs with tour operators, fostering dialogue, partnership-building, and networking.

The exhibition will showcase Iloilo’s popular farm destinations and provide information about services, unique experiences, and options for local travelers seeking a break from urban life.

A subset of the Tumandok Festival is the three-day Indigenous Fiber Fashion Fair, running from September 27 to 29. This fashion show will display handwoven fabrics from Iloilo’s weaving communities, transformed into contemporary designs by emerging and established Ilonggo designers.

The first day will feature creations by John Patrick Tajo, Jeraldine Nofre, Donato Peniero, Wendy Tanaleon, Kim Ivan Delgra, and Jerico Labata—students from ISAT-University’s BS Fashion and Design Merchandising program. Esteemed designers Otet Patrimonio and Jeff Ticao will join them. The second day will showcase collections by sought-after designers Jun-g Candelario and John Montinola.

The grand finale will present the Lin-ay sang Iloilo candidates, concluding with the official sashing ceremony organized by the Association of Iloilo Tourism Officers (AITO).

This year’s Tumandok Festival is particularly significant as it marks 20 years since its inception. First held in 2004, the festival was organized by the Iloilo Provincial Culture, Arts, History, and Tourism Office to commemorate Tourism Month every September.

Over the years, the festival has introduced new innovations and creative programming aligned with the provincial government’s commitment to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

The Tourism Month celebration highlights tourism’s vital role in driving economic growth, fostering new businesses, supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), creating jobs, and improving the quality of life for Ilonggos.

The Tumandok Festival 2024 is presented by SM City Iloilo and supported by ISAT-U BS Fashion and Design Merchandising students, IGUIDES, John Montinola, Iloilo Models Guild, and Daily Guardian.