Candon hosts 1st Calamay and Cornik Festival

CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur — Local officials and residents had successfully launched the first “Calamay and Cornik Festival” at the city plaza, here, last Friday.

The traditional way of cooking calamay (native rice cake) was showcased while contests on different variation of cooking calamay and cornik, the calamay and cornik packaging and the cornik mosaic were held.

Candon City Mayor Ericson G. Singson told that the calamay and cornik festival was the festival within the on-going Tobacco Festival to promote the two prominent local delicacies of the city.

“The purpose of this festival is to come – up with other strategies to develop our “calamay” and cornik products to satisfy the quality demand in local and international markets,” Singson said.

He said the festival was added as one of the attractions for tourists in Candon City as it showcases the history and cultures of calamay and cornik.

Calamay, the one-town one product (OTOP) of Candon, started as a source of livelihood of the residents during the Spanish colonial period. Now, at least 40 households – families from Barangay Bagar, Candon City are continuously enduring the industry to sustain their daily needs.

Similarly, the city was also known producer of cornik before the outbreak of World War II.

For his part, Congressman Eric D. Singson cited that Candon City is considered the lone producer of the delicious calamay all over the country and is one of the makers of the crispy cornik in the region.

However, Congressman Singson said the improvement of packaging of the two products is necessary attracting more buyers.

“We are promoting these two native delicacies from Candon City because these are already proven as lucrative livelihood of the local residents. (Freddie G. Lazaro)