Rock throwing ends harvest in Bontoc, as rains mar fruit fest in Kidapawan

Here in this cultural town of Bontoc, north of the Philippines where rituals are part of the daily lives of the residents, the end of harvest time is observed with stone throwing called fagfagto.

Fagfagto is annually performed by the Bontocs in Mountain Province when the harvest of the first rice crop is almost over in the month of August.

Chaze Falag-ey, a native of Bontoc said that traditionally, young boys stationed on two opposite fields of Kidlaa and Churya across the Chico river allow for fagfagto. The boys throw stones at each other every after noon until the declaration of the lesles, or rest day.

The rest day allows for each household to perform the mangmang, a ritual done for the butchering of a pig or chicken in thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. In fagfagto, it is believed that the more one gets injuries as a result of stones hurled at him, the bigger camotes or sweet potatoes, he will gather.

The planting of camote happen after rice harvest to let crop diversification and replenish lost nutrients. Camote is also planted in fields not planted by rice. Now it is another story as most young boys are not doing this ritual but most of them instead are found in computer shops playing video games.

Fruit Fest
Meantime in Kidapawan City, south of the Philippines, the annual fruit festival supposedly held every August was postponed to October due to the scarcity of fruit harvest.

Affected by continuous rains, thousands of hectares of fruit-bearing trees such as durian, lanzones, mangoosten and rambutan were destroyed. Insects also attacked 1,500 hectares of lanzones trees, Mindanao News reports say.

Called Timpupu Festival, annual highlights include eating fruits displayed along a three kilometer stretch, street dancing, float fruit parade, fruit preservatives display, fruit show contest, search for Lakambini of the event for Miss Fruity Gay, and Mount Apo Adventure race./ginadizon@yahoo.com