Longganisa Festival Ilocano pride

VIGAN CITY – The Ilocanos are all set for the 5th Longganisa Festival with the street dancing competition highlighting the event.

The Festival, which will be held until Jan. 27, coincides with the anniversary celebration of Vigan’s cityhood and its annual fiesta in honor of St. Paul.

The street dancing competition will feature 13 participating teams from the different provinces in Ilocos Region and each team will compete in three categories. The teams, composed of high school and college students, will dramatize the process of making longaniza.

Thousands of foreign and local tourists, visitors, national officials and local officials headed by Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Chavit Singson and Congressman Salacnib Baterina are expected to witness this year’s festivities.

Vigan City Mayor Ferdinand C. Medina said the Longganisa Festival have become one of the City’s tourist drawers, along with its centuries-old houses, historical churches and beaches. "It undeniably made an impact on our city’s tourism industry and economy as it continues to bring in more tourists to the city," he said.

"The longganisa, a Mexican-influenced native salami, is a food product we are proud of here in Vigan City. When we think of longganisa, people always referred to the longganisa made from Vigan," Medina said.

"The longganisa production here goes way back during the time of the Galleon food trade. Vigan longganisa or processed pork, mixed with our native Ilocos vinegar and garlic spice created its distinct taste," he added.

Already considered as a centuries-old tradition and culture in Vigan City, the longganisa was recognized as one of the city’s One Town, One Project (OTOP) by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The packaging of Vigan’s longganisa products have been institutionalized and it is now one of the country’s more popular export products.