EVERY CHRISTMAS season for over two decades now, the town of Pototan, considered as the rice granary of Panay island, puts on a grand lights display that has also earned it the title as the region’s Christmas capital. Mayor Rafael Enrique P. Lazaro narrates that the tradition was actually started back in the 1960s by then Mayor Manuel “Quedo” Parcon. “During that time, he installed colored bulbs all over the town to spread the joyous spirit among the residents of Pototan,” Mr. Lazaro said in a phone interview. But an energy crisis during the Martial Law years under Marcos in the 1970s forced the local government to give up the annual adornment. It was revived in the 1980s and in 1997, the tradition was institutionalized through the establishment of the festival called Iwag, a multi-layered Hiligaynon word that means “to light.” “For the festival to be sustained and institutionalized, the local government and the private sector worked together and came up with Iwag Festival. Since 1997 up to now, the festival has been going on for 22 years already,” Mr. Lazaro said. Aside from the lights display, the two-week festival, on this year from Dec. 15 to Jan. 2, features nightly shows, a food fair, and a carnival. “The festival is really one of our major economic activities because it provides livelihood to the vendors, tricycle drivers and the residents of Pototan. Through the bazaars and agri-fairs, we can also promote our products,” he said. Pototan, located about 30 kilometers north of Iloilo City, is classified as a first-class municipality with agriculture as its main industry. About 65% of its over 9,700-hectare land area is used as rice farms. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo
