Marinduque to play host to MIMAROPA Festival 2019: A review

Cover photo from VISIT MIMAROPA website co-created by DOST-MIMAROPA and DOT-MIMAROPAto help boost the local tourism industry in the region. 

MIMAROPA FESTIVAL is about the five provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan and the two cities of Calapan City and Puerto Princesa City coming together annually to showcase the region's best through agri-trade and tourism fair, dance parade competition and the search for MIMAROPA festival king and queen.

As earlier agreed upon by the provinces in a Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting, MIMAROPA Festival will become an annual event hosted by all the said provinces on rotation basis. Its target is to achieve its vision as "The Destination of Choice".

The first MIMAROPA Festival was held in Calapan City (Oriental Mindoro) in 2015, then in Puerto Princesa City (Palawan) in 2016, Odiongan, Romblon in 2017 and Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro last year, 2018.

Marinduque thus, is set to play host to the fifth MIMAROPA Festival this coming November as agreed upon. The province however decided not to join the festival last year.

Occidental Mindoro congresswoman Josephine Ramirez-Sato after the successful hosting by her province was quoted to have expressed the hope that it will just keep getting better. "We build on the experiences of the past, so yes, definitely, it will be better than this year as they learn from the experience." she said.

With Occidental Mindoro that has been the champion in three street dance parade competitions governor Mario Gene Mendiola said, "It is an honor for our province to host the fourth festival because when we talked about this before, our desire was to see the MIMAROPA Festival brought to each city in our region every year". 

"If I am not mistaken, we are the only regional festival in the whole Philippines", he added. 

A MIMAROPA street dance entry. Photo: Manila Bulletin

The MIMAROPA Festival has apparently shown that the five provinces can be united in spirit, over and above the diversity of beliefs, culture, and aspirations.

Cong. Sato adds, “It fosters unity and camaraderie, even among the young people, there is that sense of pride for the region which we never felt before.”

Among the tourist destinations in MIMAROPA that continues to draw visitors are Apo Reef, the world’s second largest reef, and San Jose Island in Occidental Mindoro,  Mount Halcon and Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, the Nausa Beach of Carabao Island and Ngiriton Cave in Romblon, the Maniwaya White Sand Beach and Bagumbungan Cave in Marinduque, the Puerto Princesa Underground River, Coron-Busuanga Islands, and Tubbataha Reefs in Palawan.

Meanwhile, an online portal of travel and tourism showcasing the best destinations in MIMAROPA has been co-created by DOST-MIMAROPA and DOT-MIMAROPA to help boost the local tourism industry in the region. Click here

- From NEDA, Manila Bulletin and Philstar reports.

Last year's festival was held in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro