ONLY ‘NIPA’ LEFT. With the scarcity of the affordable tamban (sardine) fish along Macajalar Bay, this housewife has to make do preparing for the mangrove variety of nipa palm for Barangay Bonbon fiesta’s float parade, highlighting its TambaNipa Festival on Sept 9-10. Photo courtesy of Charito Dioquino
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THE show must go on.

Despite the absence of tamban (sardine) fish, today’s fiesta celebration of Bonbon ― a seaside barangay of Cagayan de Oro ― goes as usual as well as its traditional “TambaNipa” Festival.

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Ang barangay mag saulog sa Tambanipa Festival taliwala sa ka amihit ngadto sa walay isdang tamban nga makuha sa among mangingisda,” said Barangay Bonbon Chairman Allan ‘Bobong’ Mabalacad.

The TambaNipa Festival, Mabalacad explained, is a combination of words that showcases Bonbon’s richness of tamban and nipa palm (a variety of mangroves).

THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN.’ Gone are the pre-pandemic days when Barangay Bonbon would celebrate its TambaNipa Festival with all the fanfare and no-hold-barred merriment. File photo by Lynde Salgados

Tamban and nipa, he said, are the main source of Bonbon fisherfolk’s livelihood and so other local residents.

“It is celebrated every 9th day of September to honor and acknowledge our Almighty Father as the provider of its abundance and the feast day of our patron Saint Sr. San Nicholas de Tolentino on September 10,” he said.

During the barangay’s “kinilaw” contest, as one of the celebration’s innovative highlights, participants have to buy the most affordable tamban (sardine) at the fish landing station in Barangay Bulua if only to sustain the yearly tradition.

Wala tay mahimo kay wala naman gyoy kuha sa among baybayon ug sa tibuok Macajalar Bay karong tuiga ug mismo karong adlawa. Sa Bulua na lang nag-secure nga komprada sab gikan Zamboanga,” fisherman Richel Baal told Gold Star Daily.

As if to aggravate the situation, last night’s staging of the LGBTQ event at Bonbon’s covered court got spoiled by a night-long power outage.

“Nawala ang power, tungod sa pagka tumba sa usa ka dako nga punuan sa kahoy sa usa sa upat ka poste nga na damage kagabii near the City Engineer’s Office,” said villager Ian Cornelius Callanta from Villa Cristo Rey where the incident happened.

The power outage also affected the majority of areas of the neighboring Barangay Kauswagan.

A disco party tonight and the much-awaited fluvial parade tomorrow are the remaining events left for the festivities, after the successful holding of the boat race, bingo social, Zumba contest, sepak takraw tourney, Miss Bonbon, and Mister PYAP 2022 and float parade, among its week-long calendar of activities.

Unta pinaagi sa among pag-saulog sa festival mo balik na ang ka abunda sa maong isdang tamban,” the youthful Mabalacad said.

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