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LAOAG CITY — Ilocos Norte, the "garlic capital" of the Philippines, is set to celebrate this favorite household spice through a two-day festival set later this week.
Organized by the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and the provincial government of Ilocos Norte, the event on April 10 and 11 will feature a culinary festival, creative garlic arrangement showcase, and booth competition.
To be held at the MMSU Student Center in Batac City, the festival will also feature various contests such as largest and best quality garlic, a TikTok Challenge, and a same event edit competition to promote garlic, known as the "white gold" of Ilocos Norte. Winners of each category will receive cash prizes.
"MMSU is committed to reviving the annual garlic festival in line with the provincial resolution. This event will serve as a platform to celebrate garlic farming, promote local products, and attract tourists, traders, and industry stakeholders," Dr. Dionisio Bucao, project leader of the Garlic and Other Agri-Food Condiments Research and Development Center, said in a statement on Monday.
"By reinstating this tradition, the festival will help boost farmer engagement, strengthen market linkages, and support Ilocos Norte's garlic industry for years to come," he added.
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The festival was first launched in 2001 under the leadership of former MMSU president Miriam Pascua. It gained momentum when it led to the official declaration of March as "Garlic Month" through Provincial Resolution 096-2002. Despite this, the festival was not sustained as a provincial tradition.
In a statement, MMSU president Virgilio Manzano said it is just proper to continue the festival because "garlic is one of the treasures in our province."
Latest government data shows that Ilocos Norte remains the top producer of garlic with an average production of 4,376 metric tons or 76.51 percent of the national output.
Every year, the province is devoting around 1,880 hectares for garlic farming, mostly in the towns of Pasuquin, Bacarra, Burgos, Vintar, and Pinili, including Batac City.
Aside from producing fresh garlic, the state-run MMSU, in partnership with the Ilocos Norte government, is taking the lead in producing world-class black garlic for local and international markets.
With research funding support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), black garlic is now locally produced in the province.
Black garlic came from aged white garlic produced from the perfect mixture of heat and humidity for about 30 days without any additional treatments and additives. It tastes sweet with hints of balsamic vinegar or tamarind, but no strong offensive flavor of the original fresh garlic.
The exotic product from fresh garlic is a sought-after food supplement and an ingredient of expensive culinary recipes in Japan and other countries.
