BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya: After three years of hibernation due to the pandemic, this boom town successfully celebrated its 7th Tangguyob Festival and 62nd Founding Anniversary.
With the theme “Pasasalamat, Pagtitipon-Tipon, Pagpupugay,” the festivities which kicked off on June 16, 2023 after Mayor Dolores Binwag officially declared the opening of the three-day celebration until June 18, 2023 was joined by the London-based FCF Minerals Corp.
FCF Minerals Corp. operates the Runruno God-Molybdenum Project under a financial or technical assistance agreement or FTAA with the national government under the supervision of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Region 2 headed by Director Mario Ancheta.
One of the highlights of the Tangguyob Festival was the “Search for Talentadong Pamilya ng Quezon 2023” on June 16 which was sponsored by FCF Minerals.
Lorne Harvey, FCF Minerals Corp. general manager for operations, thanked the municipal mayor for giving the company the opportunity to join and be part of the town’s festivities and in celebrating the town’s founding anniversary.
“It is a joy to see the town of Quezon enriching its culture once again and recovering from the harsh attempts of the pandemic that is trying to thwart its economy,” Harvey said.
Also on June 18, 2023, the company employees participated in the grand parade which featured various floats representing different barangays (villages) in the municipality.
During the parade, the barangays showcased their tremendous talent in float design and their unique products from their respective villages.
Harvey noted each float which is a masterpiece, reflecting the rich culture and pride of different barangays.
Led by the town mayor, joining the parade were Quezon town officials and employees as well as officials from different barangays along with their Saniata Ti Quezon candidates and constituents and representatives from the private and government sectors.
FCF Minerals also participated in the booth exhibit to continuously showcase their commitment to responsible mining practices and create awareness about the company’s operations.
Harvey said the booth was filled with informative materials to educate the public about FCF Minerals and its various aspects of the operation.
“We have pamphlets, brochures, and other information materials distributed to all the visitors,” he said.
Audio-visual presentations were also shown on screen to help booth visitors better understand the company’s dedication to maintaining environmental sustainability and promoting social responsibility, Harvey added.
“We had fun games prepared for the visitors where they get to win advocacy materials as prizes with free brewed coffee to energize everyone despite the heat of the sun,” he said.
Meanwhile, the three top winners of the FCF Minerals-sponsored Search for Talentadong Pamilya ng Quezon 2023 were the Organis team from Nalubbunan village, first place; the Estabillo Family from Baresbes village, 2nd place; and Enano Team from Darubba village, 3rd place.
They received cash prizes and trophies and the non-winning teams also received certificates of participation and consolation prizes. The barangays of the winning teams also received cash prizes.
Judges during the search were Chona Joy Sabado of Quezon National High School and Trainer and Adjudicator in Dance Sports; Chester Cortez of Schools Division Office (SDO) of Nueva Vizcaya and Lead Vocalist of Ethno-Reggae Band and Spell Juan; and Jan Mikhael Pating of Nueva Vizcaya General Comprehensive School and a Member Himig Guro/Koro Maestro, choral group of the SDO Nueva Vizcaya.
Binwag expressed thanks to all the Talentadong Pamilya ng Quezon contenders who have shared their talent, time and effort for the realization of the event. LEANDER C. DOMINGODOMINGO