It's Ubi season again

It’s feel-good Sunday, January 17, 2021. Time out from nega sizzlers, time in for another inspiring story.

But first, some food for thought:

Hipolita Galgo Persigas

• From Steve Jobs: "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people's thinking." 

• From Saint Mother Teresa: "Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."

• From Benjamin Franklin:  "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." 

• From Helen Keller: "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart."

And.... 

• Hipolita Galgo Persigas, 84, of Ubay town was laid to rest on Saturday, Jan. 16. "Go, for Adonai sends you. Go and Adonai will be with you. Adonai will guard your coming and going, now and forever. Amen."

• The "Managkot sa Candelaria" Hike for a Cause in Garcia Hernandez town on February 2, 2021. The charity event is organized by Helping Hand Movement of Garcia Hernandez. for youth leader Iris Cuadra who was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. For inquiries, call or text 09565028869. 

• The January 23, 2021 opening of The Buzzz Cafe- Jagna. 

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One beauty (and brains) contest sorely missed by beauty-watchers is the Miss Ubi Festival Queen, launched in 2000, and scrapped for good, much to the sadness of fans. 

Larry Pamugas, Ph. D. : The 30-day Ubi festival 2021 will be filled with activities and contests.

Miss Ubi usually picked candidates from the towns which are “ubi” country--Alburquerque, Antequera, Baclayon,  Corella, Dagohoy,  Dauis, Dimiao , Garcia-Hernandez, Jagna,  Loay, Loboc, Mabini, Maribojoc, Panglao, Sikatuna, Tagbilaran, Ubay and Valencia-- from whom the winner is chosen in a pageant, promoting, yes of course, ubi (yam). 

Here’s a fond lookback at the Miss Ubi Honor Roll:

• Pinky Gica Beldia was the first Miss Ubi Festival Queen in 2000. It was held in Dauis town.

• Rhiz Nova Tagsip Arenas of Inabanga  was declared Miss Ubi Festival Queen 2004 and subsequently became Miss Bohol Sandugo 2004.  She was famous for her “Basta ubi Bohol, basta Bohol ubi."

• Jade Nica Obedencio of Balilihan was declared Miss Ubi Festival Queen 2012 in a low-budgeted and less fanfare search. 

Unfortunately, there has been no search because of lack of funds. 

There was a collective heave of a call for a yearly Miss Ubi Festival Queen but the interest waned in the succeeding years.

Where are they now? Throwback Sunday: 17 years ago the Ubi Festival Queen 2004 crown was won by Rhiz Nova Aranas of Inabanga town. The committee members were Fiel Angeli Araoarao-Gabin, Rany Gespert, Rico Guigue, Regil Gucor, Ivan, Maymay Legaspi, Dr. Amce Marie Pinos and Roxanne Monton. 

Well, the Ubi Festival 2021 is on January 25 to February 24.  Ubi (Dioscorea alata) growers and supporters will gather once more to honor the crop as a major agricultural product in the ubilandia. 

If the coronavirus was not around, shortly after the new year, the festive vibe would have been evident.

But Larry Pamugas, assistant provincial agriculturist, said the 30-day festival will be filled with activities and contests such as highest value of Ubi display, Ubi eating contest, best new Ubi processed products, Pinaka, literary and musical contests; and nightly entertainment and food fair.

 

The late environmental activist Zenaida Darunday said ubi is a healthy energy source with important nutritional benefits. The kinampay, the queen of all ubi varieties, is a good source of anthocyanin, a strong anti-oxidant. 

We are looking foward to buy different varieties of ubi --- kabus-ok, kinlot, balagon-on, binanag, tam-isan, apale, iniling, lima-lima, kot, bot and kinampay (the most aromatic ubi in the world) --- at low prices for our ubi desserts!!! 

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