KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 10 Aug) – The city government of Kidapawan is preparing at least 18 tons of tropical fruits for the three-day eat-all-you-can event during the duration of the Timpupo Festival that started Friday until Aug. 19.
Timpupo Festival, circa 2015. MindaNews photo by FERDINANDH CABRERA
City tourism officer Joey Recimilla said the fruit galore is scheduled on Aug. 13, 17 and 18.
“Timpupo” is a Manobo word meaning “abundant harvest.”
Recimilla said that for each day of the fruit-eating festival, the city government allots six tons of fruits.
The fruits to be served to the party-goers include mangosteen, rambutan, marang, bananas, and lanzones.
Recimilla said the event won’t be free as each ticket costs 50 pesos, to pay for the paper plate, spoon and fork, cellophane gloves, bottled water, and table napkin.
“The P50 you pay for the ticket is for the things you need when eating fruits in a public place,” he said, adding that the fruits are in effect free, already paid for by the local government. “The city government bought these fruits for people to enjoy,” Recimilla stressed.
Majority of the fruits, he said, were bought from fruit growers in Kidapawan City. The other fruits, like marang, were bought from the nearby towns of Magpet and Makilala, both in North Cotabato.
The 18 tons of fruits cost the city government P750,000.
“Through the Timpupo Festival, the city government wants to help our own fruit farmers improve their income. We bought their products at a much higher price as compared to the prevailing prices in our public market,” said Recimilla.
The nine-day Timpupo Festival also highlights indigenous peoples’ (IP) day celebrations; street dancing; horse show; Search for Binibining Kalikasan; and Search for the Hiyas sa Timpupo, a beauty pageant for the LGBT community. (Malu Cadelina Manar / MindaNews)
