Calapan holds Kalap Festival
Calapan City, the bustling provincial capital of Oriental Mindoro, recently held the 11th Kalap Festival in celebration of its 20th cityhood anniversary.
With the theme “20 Taon ng Lungsod: Kaunlaran, Kalinga at Malasakit para sa Lahat,” the three-week observance highlighted the economic gains the city has achieved over the past two decades.
The highlight of the festivities was the Kalap Festival street dance parade which portrayed the city’s humble beginnings in the pre-Spanish era. Calapan originated from the word kalap which means to gather tree branches, which was among the major means of livelihood in the ancient days.
The festival also depicts the town’s rich farm lands and fishing grounds in the street dance tilt which was won by the Canubing National High School.
According to Mayor Arnan Panaligan, the festival is Calapan’s way of showcasing the progress it has experienced in commerce and industry, infrastructure, social services, tourism and governance since attaining cityhood.
Tourism is a growing industry with the opening of inland resorts and hotels. Natural attractions include the Caluangan Lake, Harka Piloto Island which boasts of a coral-rich dive site, the Silonay Mangrove Conservation Area and the Calapan Recreational and Zoological Park.
Calapan was named Number 2 Most Competitive Component City in Resilience for its outstanding programs in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and preparedness.
Last year, it bagged third place in the eGov Awardee for Excellence in Information and Communications Technology for Local Government Units because of its fully-automated transactions.
Its ranking in the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness
Index of the National Competitiveness Council rose significantly in 2016-2017, earning it the recognition of being one of the Three Most Improved Cities in Competitiveness.
In 2014, it was elevated to the Hall of Fame of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s for being the country’s most businessfriendly city three times for its streamlined business registry processes.