When discussing Philippine Festivals, several traditional revelries come to mind. These include the lively and energetic Sinulog in Cebu, the primal and rhythmic Dinagyang in Iloilo, the captivating drumming beats of Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, the vibrancy of Masskara in Bacolod, the flowery appeal of Panagbenga in Baguio, the cultural allure of Zamboanga's Hermoso, and the equally joyous celebration of Kadayawan in Davao, and the list goes on. However, upon further exploration, one can easily discover numerous jovial celebrations in smaller cities and even towns throughout the Philippine archipelago.

The Mammangi Festival in Ilagan, Isabela, is a celebration that brings together the townspeople. While it may not be as grand or extravagant as other festivals, it still embodies the traditional spirit of Philippine festivals and holds a special place in the hearts of the community. The spectacle is a beautiful display that pays homage to the often overlooked heroes of the city - the farmers and their precious crop, corn. It is a heartfelt demonstration of love and respect for their hard work and dedication. The festival is also tribute to the city's remarkable resilience in the face of countless challenges. Today, Ilagan has emerged stronger and is now actively working towards becoming a model city in the future.

A Celebration Realized in the Corn-nick of Time

The Mammangi Festival was derived from the word "mangui," which translates to "corn" in the language of the Ibanag people. The festival was originally conceived as a celebration of thanksgiving and takes place on the same week as the feast of Ilagan's patron Saint Ferdinand of Castille, which falls on May 30th.

However, this year, the festival faced a major setback when Typhoon Betty struck the northern part of Luzon, including Isabela, during its scheduled dates. The devastating impact of the typhoon almost led to the complete cancellation of the festival.

Fortunately, the city government was able to come up with a new schedule for the Mammangi Festival just in time before the current year ends. It was then pushed back to coincide with the week of the 11th anniversary of the cityhood of Ilagan, which falls on August 11.

From August 1 to 13, both residents and visitors enjoyed a variety of grand celebrations, concerts, festive events, bazaars, pageantry, and more. The festivities reached its zenith with an exhilarating street and modern dancing competition, as well as a musical performance by OPM icons like Celeste Legazpi, Dulce, and Gino Padilla held at the city's sports complex, which was witnessed live by tens of thousands of people.

A total of eight groups, representing clusters of Barangays, participated in the Street Dance and Modern Dance Showdown. The Poblacion 2 cluster emerged as the winners in both categories, followed by San Antonio 2 and Poblacion 1, which secured the 1st and 2nd Runner-up positions in both categories as well.

There was no shortage of fun the whole week of the festival as the night before, a large crowd descended on the sports complex to witness the city's new beauty queen being crowned. Kristine Joy D. Guzman of Barangay Marana I emerged victorious, surpassing the other candidates to claim the title of Binibining Ilagan 2023.

The pageant, hosted by Beatrice Luigi Gomez, the 2021 Miss Universe Philippines, and GMA's Carlo Tingcungco, featured a surprising musical performance by actor James Reid, much to the delight of the screaming audience.

Children of the Corn

In the latter part of the 16th century, the Ibanag people who originally settled in the northern part of Cagayan River began moving south towards what is now the Isabela province. Rice and vegetable farming became the cornerstones of the local economy. When the tobacco monopoly was instituted by the Spanish in the early 1780s and local Ibanag farmers were compelled to produce tobacco, they had to shift their agricultural focus from rice to corn because the growing season for corn interchanges with that of tobacco. With the arrivals of settlers from the Ilocos region and Central Luzon, Isabela's farmlands, and Ilagan in particular, rose to prominence as an ideal location for the cultivation of rice and corn.

Today, the city of Ilagan has gained recognition as the "Corn Capital of the Philippines." It boasts an impressive annual corn production of 150 to 170 metric tons, cultivated across its vast expanse of over 17,500 hectares of corn fields.

The economic contribution of Ilagan to the country is so substantial that the local government has taken steps to establish an I-Corn Complex. This complex will serve as a central research and development facility for all aspects of corn farming and harvesting. The project includes the implementation of innovative farming techniques such as mechanical drying and the use of drone technology to enhance the practice of "smart farming."

Onward to a Livable City by 2030

The Mammangi Festival, which marked the first in-person celebration since the pandemic, also served as a platform to highlight the city's goals of attaining "Livable City" status by 2030. When asked why the target year for achieving a certain status is set for 2030 instead of the present time, Mayor Josemarie L. Diaz of Ilagan City explained that reaching this level of achievement requires time and effort, as there are specific criteria that need to be fulfilled. Drawing inspiration from top livable cities like Brisbane , Geneva, Auckland, Osaka just to name a few, the goal is to achieve noteworthy improvements in "over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors" across five key categories: culture, infrastructure, stability, environment, education, and healthcare.

In order to fulfill the specified criteria, the city has enlisted the expertise of Felino Palafox, a highly regarded Filipino architect and urban planner. Palafox will serve as a consultant to assess and establish the most effective approach for creating Ilagan's land use plan. This plan is crucial as it aims to assess and identify the development possibilities of the city, taking into account the correct use of its abundant natural resources and existing infrastructure.

Other projects include the construction of pedestrian and bike lanes, the implementation of wise zoning practices, establishment of more health and educational facilities and the reduction of the housing backlog by building affordable housing for local residents.

As the grand concert on Mammangi's last night reaches its climax, the evening sky is illuminated by a spectacular display of fireworks. The enthusiastic applause and cheers of the crowd reverberate throughout the Ilagan Sports Complex. In that very moment, the city is filled with hope and the promise of a brighter future shines brightly. Ilagan has come a long way indeed, soldiering on from being the third poorest city to becoming the 50th wealthiest city among 149 cities in the Philippines, according to a COA 2022 report.

This remarkable transformation is a true testament to the determination and resilience of the Ilagueños. The Mammangi Festival was a perfect celebration to honour the hardworking farmers who have cultivated the fertile lands and abundant corn fields of the city as well as the continued collaborative efforts of its residents. Their efforts have not only contributed to the city's economic growth but have also played a significant role in inching Ilagan closer to the lofty but achievable goal of becoming a Livable City by 2030.

Ilagan Side trips

The Giant Butaka at Bonifacio Park is also known as "Butaka ni Goliath," this giant armchair was built in 2003 and was awarded the title of the "biggest armchair in the world" by the Guinness Book of World Records in the same year. It symbolizes the once thriving armchair woodwork industry in the city. The butaka also represents the hospitality nature of the Ilagueños, known as "Ipabalem," which ensures that guests always feel at home when they enter a typical Ilagueño household.

Visitors to the historic Japanese Tunnel are greeted by torii gates and a beautifully manicured garden. The site holds significance as it was once a World War II tunnel used by the Japanese as a military base. This tunnel in Isabela is one of the few remaining from the wartime. It has a length of 40 meters and measures 3 meters in both width and height.

Here, guests have the opportunity to dress up in traditional Japanese Kimono dresses and take photos in a beautiful garden adorned with vibrant greenery and blooming flowers.

The Ilagan Sanctuary is located inside a much bigger park, the 819-hectare Fuyot Springs National Park, a protected area that stretches from the flatlands to the mountain slopes of Ilagan, Isabela.

Visitors to this park can enjoy a day filled with exciting activities in the great outdoors. They can explore easy-to-navigate cave chambers, observe a variety of animals including a python and a family of tigers in the animal kingdom park, experience the thrill of a 350-meter zipline and cable car ride, go on ATV rides, visit the butterfly park, and relax in natural spring pools. With so many options, this park offers something for everyone to enjoy.

Although the Diocese of Ilagan was established in 1612, the current St. Ferdinand Parish Church dates back to the late 19th century and has undergone various restorations since then.

It borders the little Rizal Park and is surrounded by miles of rice and maize fields through which the Ilagan River, a tributary of the Cagayan River, cuts.

For over a decade, Epson, a global leader in innovative and sustainable technology solutions, has been organizing an annual thanksgiving gathering with members of the media — particularly those in the tech beat. This year, the 14th season of the brand’s Fusion event took place on Lagen Island in El Nido, Palawan.

This year's three-day happening, much like past Fusion episodes, was packed with fun challenges, good camaraderie, and exciting updates about Epson's plans for the upcoming months. Attendees were treated to insights into new product rollouts and innovative developments that Epson has in store.

Meeting Lagen Island for the First Time

Lagen Island hides on a four-hectare property on an island enveloped by towering limestone walls, lush forests, and a serene shallow lagoon that gracefully merges with the waters of Bacuit Bay teeming with underwater gems. It is one of the properties of El Nido Resorts, which also includes the ones on Pangulasian, Apulit, and Miniloc Islands. Like its sister properties, Lagen Island serves as a sanctuary for a wide range of bird and mammal species.

Lagen Island offers a variety of accommodations with a total of 51 rooms. These rooms are divided into four classifications: stilt-styled water cottages, beachfront rooms, forest suites, and forest rooms. Each accommodation space incorporates timber recycled from old Filipino homes, creating an ambiance that conjures the quaint luxury found in the countryside and islands.

Simply staying in, enjoying the food, and swimming, even in the rain, would already make for a delightful time. Fortunately, the weather calmed down the next day, thus giving us a window of a few hours to battle it out for the title of Epson Fusion 14's overall champion.

Let the Epson Fusion 14 Games Begin

Due to the inclement weather, the initial plan to participate in outdoor activities like snorkeling in the Secret Lagoon — one of El Nido’s best island hopping sites, had to be shelved. However, the game marshals did an excellent job of devising a new set of challenges that tested not only our mental and physical abilities but also our balance, creativity, focus, and knowledge about Epson products.

The initial task involved a quiz battle, where teams competed to be the first to answer three questions correctly about Epson products. The team that succeeded in doing so would then move on to the next challenge. The total time taken by each team for each task is added together to determine the overall winner.

Overall, there are five challenges, with the most grueling being the bamboo stilt race. The other challenges include a group balancing act, a creative group shot in the swimming pool, a cheer dance, and an activity that tests participants' photographic memory. In this exercise, participants must mimic a set of characters and print them in the same order and size using an Epson miniature printer.

At the end of the Epson Fusion 14 team competitions, Team Pating emerged as the overall champion, surpassing the other teams - Pawikan, Dugong, Butanding, and Barakuda. They were awarded a prize on our last night during the socials: Under The Sea Cocktail Night.

Lagen Island, a Winning Choice

Much like the readers of Conde Nast Traveler who voted the El Nido Resorts in Lagen, Apulit and Pangulasian as its 2020 Readers Choice for Best Resorts in Asia, the team at Epson already won when they selected Lagen Island Resort as the location for this year’s Fusion Event. Lagen Island proved to be an ideal setting for team building activities. The island resort offers a plethora of opportunities for outdoor undertakings such as swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, birdwatching, and mangrove exploration.

The property includes designated areas for beach volleyball, badminton, soccer, and frisbee. Additionally, they offer an indoor playroom that provides various recreational activities such as table soccer, ping pong, billiards, and board games.

Despite the resort's already sophisticated appearance, there are even more exciting things to come. Starting this month, the property will temporarily close for renovations. These improvements will focus on enhancing the amenities and designs of each room, promising a more laidback, satisfying, and better experience for guests.

“The management wants to make sure we remain a step or two ahead of the growing competitions in El Nido”, one of the staff told me. “In the meantime, we will be assigned for duties to the other El Nido Resort properties in either Apulit or Miniloc”, she adds.

Already a premier choice for bespoke holidays, one would be even more excited to return to a renovated Lagen Island in the near future. Guests can look forward to experiencing its exceptional hospitality and enjoying its specially curated services once again. These include indulging in the delicious cuisine served at its in-house restaurant and a soothing self-pampering by availing a Filipino-influenced hilot therapy offered at its spa. It is safe to assume that Lagen Island will become an even more popular choice for a quintessential Palawan hideaway once it reopens.

A Fitting Farewell to a Familiar Fusion Figure

The three-day Epson Fusion 14 event was not just about fun and games. It also provided us with an opportunity to learn what Epson has planned for the upcoming months. Additionally, we had the chance to bond with some of the senior executives who traveled with us to El Nido.

During our first night dinner, we had the pleasure of meeting several distinguished senior executives from Epson Philippines. These included Eduardo Bonoan, the Marketing Division Head, Renan Lacson, the Senior Manager for Product Management, Noelle Gonzalez, the Senior Manager of the Vertical Business Department, and Masako Kusama, the President of Epson Philippines.

The four took turns speaking and shared with us the various projects and product innovations that Epson has been developing to conclude the year.

The remainder of the evening was brimming with joyful celebrations of Epson's innovative vision. Additionally, it served as a farewell party for Eduardo Bonoan, who will be retiring later this year. Noelle Gonzales, who will be assuming Bonoan’s role, also informed us that Epson will be increasing its efforts to promote sustainable operations in the Philippines.

After three days of delightful company, delectable food, and immersing myself in the charming atmosphere of Lagen Island Resort, I can confidently say that the Epson Fusion event I attended was just as remarkable as Epson's ongoing success in the Philippine market. Can’t wait for the next Epson Fusion — and crossing fingers my editor sends me again.

This article first appeared on BusinessMirror.

It has been over a decade since my ex-girlfriend, a friend, and I embarked on a memorable long weekend castaway trip to Calaguas Islands’ Mahabang Buhangin. During that time, the island was known only to avid backpackers. I vividly recall the confused expression on the fisherman's face when we approached him in the town of Paracale and shared our plan to journey to the island.

“That’s far away.” He told us in Tagalog. “What will you do there? there’s nothing there. The island is bare”, he adds. While the mighty waves of the Pacific Ocean were still unbeknownst to us, we chartered his small boat. It didn’t took long before we started noticing the growing swells rocking and jerking our vessel. The three of us; myself, Lauren and Sharlyn immediately went silent reciting all the prayers we know while our boatman and his assistant remained calm all throughout.

That boat ride going to and from Calaguas’ Mahabang Buhangin, along with almost getting toasted by the sun and the beginning of my attachment to Lauren, remained as the highlights of my first trip to Calaguas. After my romantic relationship with Lauren fizzled out a few years after she migrated to Canada, I believe it was time to create a new memory in Calaguas more than a decade later.

Many things have happened since my first trip to the island. From my early days starting to embrace wanderlust in the summer of 2010, I’ve literally and figuratively amassed thousands of miles on the road charting a path escaping the corporate world and becoming a travel writer.

Over time, my travels have expanded to include various destinations across the country and parts of Asia, with the frequency of my trips increasing to two or three times per month. Lauren has chosen to stay in Montreal, while Sharlyn embarked on a new chapter of her life as a married woman and a mother. In Calaguas case, It has since turn into a popular destination among beach junkies. Despite its remote location, travelers have included it in their travel bucket list in the Bicol region.

The once barren island, which used to have only one or two small huts and a tiny well for water supply, has now undergone significant changes. Today, at least four resorts have been built on the island. Yet, despite the major changes that occurred, the island remains beautiful as ever. This became clear to me as soon as our boat docked on the island's notable white powdery sands.

“Ganda pa ren” (It’s still pretty), I mumbled to myself as I sunk my feet into the crystal clear waters and gently weaved my way to the cool fine sands that stretched as far as both sides of the island. While I would prefer the naked Calaguas Island’s Mahabang Buhangin of old, the present day version with its aptly sized rooms, soft beds, electricity, and nighttime air conditioning brings added comfort to visitors. It was a good thing that the few resorts allowed to be built were in an area with a wide setback distance from the beach. As a result, the vast shoreline of Mahabang Buhangin remained untouched and just as pristine as it was before.

Unless you came bringing an Elon Musk’s Starlink kit, your only internet connection is through a 150 peso an hour internet access sold in the resort. Mobile phone charging cost 50 pesos since electricity on the island is powered only by solar panels and a generator set. The power is turned on from 6pm until 6am the next morning thus giving you a sound rest cooled by an a/c through the night. Other than that, it is best to set aside your dependence on gadgets and simply embrace the island experience.

Unlike my first Calaguas Islands trip, this time I got to go on a side excursion to another island in the cluster called Balagbag Island where a panorama view of the surrounding waters and islands awaited us. While the sands of Balagbag are less refined than in Mahabang Buhangin, it compensates for this with its picturesque rolling terrain. A winding trail, lined with tall swaying grass, leads to rocky cliffs with a breathtaking view of the ocean's azure-colored waters and its foamy swells.

After making my way down from the tallest rocky outcrop, I found a flat ground and sat there to take in the view before flying my drone to get a bird's-eye perspective of the jaw dropping landscape. Just before sundown, our little party of travel journalists returned to Mahabang Buhangin. Since it was a weekday, we had the whole stretch of the beach to ourselves.

As the sun gradually sets on the horizon, the memories of my 2010 trip to Calaguas begin to blend seamlessly with my current experience of the place. I find these two remarkable episodes taking place in this stunning part of Camarines Norte as timestamps reminding me of how far I've come — literally as a traveler.

Calaguas Island Travel Guide (2026 Update)

🚍 1. How to get to Calaguas

🧭 Usual route (from Manila)

Step 1: Manila → Daet or Vinzons

Bus from Cubao or Pasay terminals

Travel time: 6–8 hours

Destinations: Daet (main hub)

Vinzons (closer to jump-off point)

Step 2: Daet/Vinzons → Paracale or Guijalo port

Van / jeep: 1–2 hours

Step 3: Boat to Calaguas Island

Depart from: Paracale Port OR Guijalo Port (Caramoan side connection routes sometimes used in packages)

Travel time: 2.5–4 hours sea crossing

🚤 2. Boat costs (2026 estimates)

Boat prices depend on whether you join a tour or go DIY.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Joiner tour package:

₱2,000 – ₱3,500 per person

Includes:

boat transfer

camping setup

meals (basic)

environmental fees

🚤 DIY / charter boat:

₱3,500 – ₱7,000 per boat (small group)

₱8,000 – ₱12,000+ (bigger groups)

Split cost depending on passengers.

🧾 Extra fees:

Environmental fee: ₱100–₱200

Registration: ₱50–₱100

Cottage (optional): ₱300–₱800

🏕️ 3. Accommodation options

⛺ 1. Camping (most common)

Bring your own tent

Basic toilets + limited water supply

No luxury infrastructure

👉 Best for: budget + authentic island experience

🛖 2. Homestays / basic huts

Available in: Barangay communities near Mahabang Buhangin

₱500 – ₱1,500 per night

🏝️ 3. Tour packages with tent setup

Most convenient option:

pre-arranged tents

meals included

guide included