Cotabato’s Kumbira: A simple, shared meal for a cause after Kalivungan Festival’s revelry

MORE THAN 20,000 people, mainly locals, gathered for the Kumbira 2018 — a simple, shared meal for a cause that caps Cotabato province’s Kalivungan Festival held end-August. “This aims to gather the people (of Cotabato), including the tri-people (Christians, indigenous peoples, and Muslims) for a fellowship lunch,” said Jimmy Sta. Cruz, provincial information officer. Each Kumbira participant pays P10 for a packed lunch of rice, a viand and a bottle of water, and everyone eats together at the Provincial Capitol grounds in Kidapawan City. The proceeds go to an organization or a community that needs funding assistance, as determined by a special committee. “The amount is minimal, but it’s a filling meal. (And) the income from Kumbira will go to the needy,” Mr. Sta. Cruz said. — Maya M. Padillo