2019 Puto Festival staged for producers
THE Calasiao municipal government decided to cut down on usual events for its Puto Festival 2019 and instead decided to allocate more funds for the planned relocation of the puto vendors to help restore the lost demand owing to their temporary makeshift location.
Municipal administrator Mark Paolo Caspillan said the LGU has allotted P400,000 from the festival’s budget for the relocation of the puto vendors’ stalls.
“The municipal government will shoulder the expenses for their relocation,” he said, in an interview Thursday.
“Because of the vendor’s displacement from their stalls along the road as a result of road widening, the sale of puto was affected. So, instead of coming up with the usual festivities, the municipal government deemed it necessary to make the celebration simple and focus on helping in the sales of the puto vendors and producers instead, since the festival in itself is truly for their industry,” Caspillan said.
The Department of Public Works and Highways, he said, had to demolish the original stalls along the road because these were occupying the right of way. The stalls are now situated at the town’s plaza.
He said town officials are still looking for the perfect permanent location for the puto stalls. “It should be around the town’s center; should be accessible to people; and has a parking area,” he said.
During this year’s festival, the municipal government has purchased a total of 3,000 kilograms (kg) of puto from the vendors or 78.9 kg from each vendor.
“All the 3k kilos of puto were distributed to the public for free to further promote our town’s product,” he added.
The town’s government also conducted training for producers on how to further improve their product and extend the puto’s life, and new ways to promote puto.
The 2018 Puto Festival featured ‘Best Ways to Cook Out’, Amazing Race, Puto Festival King and Queen, Ms. Gay, Volleyball tournament, Street Party, but this year’s activities were limited to flowers or plants display or exhibit, mural painting contest, blood letting, Share a Gift project.
Calasiao is the record holder of the Guinness World Records for ‘Largest Rice Cake Mosaic’ a year after the town’s attempt in 2017 with its 209.37-square-meter rice cake mosaic, made of 300,000 puto. (Helen Martin)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
