By MARK FRANCISCO
BARANGAY Iponan in Cagayan de Oro City led by chairman Dondon Allorin recently celebrated its Humbalicious Festival 2021 last February 7 to 9.
Known then as Humba Festival, it started way back in 2009 to champion humba as one of the barangay’s two specialties (the other is suman).
Every year, a cooking contest is held at Iponan plaza where chefs from the city judge the cook-off between Iponan’s amateur humba cooks from the barangay’s zones, sitios, schools and non-government organizations (NGOs).
The famous humba dish, which is traditionally a sugar-braised pork meat, undergoes many transformations under the hands of the barangay’s aspiring humba masters.
As its tradition, anyone from the whole barangay is invited to join the humba cooking contest. Iponan’s contest has been a yearly battleground which declares the most skillful humba cook as the champion.
Throughout the years of its annual celebration, the Humbalicious Festival has not only brought a good name to the cooking prowess of its locals but also improved the living of so many of its residents.
