elebrating the theme “Ubi: Gasa sa Kinaiyahan, sa Katawhang Bol-anon Paga-ampingan” the Ubifest 2012 is all set for January 18-20.

Organized this year by a technical working group from the provincial government and the Department of Agriculture through the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center, Agricultural Training Institute, and the Central Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center – Bohol Experimental Station, and other agencies of the national government, the Ubifest is held in January of every year to promote the hardy rootcrop, which is strongly identified with Boholano culture and has nourished Boholanos through the centuries through seasons of drought and famine.

Ubi farmers, ubi processors, and other key players of the industry from 16 ubi-growing municipalities all over the province have committed to exhibit their ubi harvest and products in this year’s Ubifest.

The Ubifest 2012 will open on the 18th with a motorcade from the Provincial Capitol Annex Building, along major thoroughfares of the city, to the Plaza Rizal, where the opening program will also be held.

Also ongoing will be a product display at the Acacia Garden in the Capitol Grounds featuring different kinds of ubi and processed ubi products from all over Bohol. The product display will run from the date of opening until January 21.

Other contests scheduled for the Ubifest are competitions in Balak, Poster-Making, Kuradang, Best Booth, Pinaka, Most Promising Ubi Cuisine and Product, and Rap or Jingle.

Also set this year is the Miss Ubi 2012, with the candidates coming from the 16 exhibiting ubi-producing municipalites.

This year, a new competition which is now open heralds the Ubifest with the aim of increasing the awareness of children of the ubi’s importance in Boholano culture.

A Visayan children’s story writing contest open to all Boholanos has been launched this year with the deadline for submissions set on January 18.

Entries must be written in Visayan, must not exceed two thousand words, must touch on the importance of ubi to Boholano culture, and must be relevant to the Ubifest 2012 theme “Ubi: Gasa sa Kinaiyahan, sa Katawhang Bol-anon Paga-ampingan”, among other guidelines.

Entries must be submitted to the following email address: elenoevangelista@yahoo.com.au by the deadline date with the subject heading: Ubi Story Writing Contest submission. No other mode of submission will be entertained.

The winning writer will be notified by the Board of Judges on January 19, 2012 and must be present to receive the award in person during the closing ceremonies on January 20, 2011.

The prize for the winning story is P3,000 and the story will also be read in class by elementary pupils, Grade III or younger, all over the province.

Other guidelines for the competition are: the story must be written in Cebuano/Boholano language. Name, address, and contact details, including cellphone or landline numbers, of the author must also be stated;

• The story must be original and must be understandable by children of school age;

• The contest is open to all interested individuals, but the writer should preferably come from a community of ubi growers;

• The story must deal on the festival theme and must incorporate any of the following aspects: historical significance, symbols, value to Boholanos and the Filipino assets and features;

• Only one submission per writer will be accepted;

• The winning entry shall become the property of the management, although authorship will remain with the writer.

• The story will be judged on the following criteria: Story, 30%; Originality of the piece, 25%; Relevance to the theme, 25%; and Language, 20%