Pamuhuan Festival in Pinamungajan

Pamuhuan Festival

Vibrant street dancing performance (photo courtesy: alexandra sandoval)

Lively Pamuhuan Festival

Pamuhuan Festival is a celebration of Pinamungajan Municipality’s abundant resources from its fertile land and fecund sea.

The festivity is lively depicted through annual primarily vibrant street dancing, among other activities. Pamuhuan Festival was first celebrated in 2008 through the efforts of the local government officials and organizers of the municipality.

This festival is usually celebrated on the first week of May (4) to coincide with and in honor of the town fiesta and its patron saint – St Monica. It was first celebrated on a Sunday.

Originally, the town’s name came from “Pinamuhuan”, which literally means ‘a worker’s share of the harvest’. Based on that origin, the town got its name Pinamungajan (or Pinamungahan) denoting bountiful resources.

Bountiful agricultural town

The town was established by the Spanish officials back in the early 19th century. It is a rich agricultural area and it is still considered the largest producer of agricultural products in the entire province.

The farming community of Pingamungajan plant varieties of tropical vegetation which produce food resources including coconut, corn, vegetables, root crops (such as sweet potato, yam, etc.). In fact, the town is also considered the principal producer of coconut products in the province.

Aside from the dry land produce, Pinamungajan also yields a favorite fish variety locally called “bangus” (a milkfish specie which enters estuaries and rivers) which is being cultured in fish farms. For this farming activity, the Municipality is known to be the province’s leading producer of bangus as well.

Highlights of the festival

When the first festival was held in 2008, the local officials and the mayor (Hon. Yapha) aimed to showcase the Municipality’s past history, its present and its future.
 
These three points of the theme is depicted through street dancing choreography and ritual showdown during the festival day.

To breakdown the three-pronged theme, the abundance of farm and sea products of the town are being presented through the costumes, props, floats, and materials being used in the festival.

Nature's Wonders

The frenzy and atmospheric festivity will not be the only bundles of resources you can enjoy with in Pinamungahan.

You can also explore the natural attractions, sites, places and nature of the area. You can climb its lush mountains, crawl and explore its dark and mysterious caves, or breathe the air of freedom and serenity on its beaches.

Let’s check out a few of its natural wonders as examples…

• Sinongkulan Waterfall in Barangay Lamac
• 14 Rice Terraces on hills in Barangay Tupas, which can be likened with Bohol’s Chocolate Hills
• 118 Caves in Barangay Lamac, Anopog and Sacsac
• Campalabo Island White Beach, etc.
  

Well, if you wish to find or discover more of nice places in Pinamungajan, you may inquire further and do on-site explorations.

You may also contact the following resource:

Office of the Vice-Mayor
Tel. No.(032) 468-9015; 468-5526

Thanks for your visit and reading this far. Hope you’ll have a wonderful and memorable festival or visit in the area. Have fun!

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