Pozorrubio's Patupat Festival

 

What is a PATUPAT? 

    It is a native delicacy made from malagkit rice wrapped in intricately weaved coconut leaves cooked in sugarcane extract.

            How is PATUPAT being made?

    At first glance, this dish may seem simple - but it actually takes nearly a whole day to be prepared. The process starts with harvesting, cleaning, and trimming coconut leaves to be hand-weaved pouch that will serve as its wrapper - it needs to be as tight as it can be so that the glutinous rice will not escape the pouch. 

    Then, the malagkit rice pre-soaked in water for 3 hours will already be put inside the weaved patupat wrapper. It will then be cooked within 1 hour in sugarcane extract pressed and obtained using a traditional sugar cane milling machine called darapilan. 

    To test its doneness and determine whether or not the patupats can already be removed from the fire, bubbles should already not be visible inside the kawa - a huge iron open pot where patupats are cooked.

    The remaining sugarcane extract will then be continually boiled until it reach a thick consistency and become a panocha. This part of the process requires continued stirring to prevent the mixture from being burnt. 
    Once the panocha is ready, it will be set until it cools down. Then the cooked patupats will be dipped into the panocha for the extra sweetness experience.   

    It is sold in bunches about 4-5 pieces and can usually found in the darapilans or the actual factories of Barangays Imbalbalatong and Buneg, at the Pamilihang Bayan ng Pozorrubio - the municipality's local market, and in nearby cities.

THE PATUPAT FESTIVAL

    In thanksgiving of the Patupat Industry in which the municipality of Pozorrubio is known and highly regarded, every year during the month of January - the Patupat Festival is being held. 

    The joyous activities during the festival usually include the Patupat Long Table, Patupat Eating Contest, Patupat Wrapper Weaving Contest. Aside from the main activities, the festival is celebrated with enormous singing and dancing.

    Patupat Long Table: Free for All Patupat!

    This portion of the festival is sought-after by both residents and visitors. Patupats are being served in a 300-meter long table - all free to be eaten by patrons lined up along the table. It is a momentous event in which Pozorrubians and tourists can dine altogether and savor the delicacy. 

    Patupat Eating Contest: Patupat all you can!

    Contestants will race to be entitled as the one who can eat a patupat the fastest. A contestant can only be declared winner as soon as he/she was able to whistle as the official marker that she has already finished and his/her mouth is completely empty.

    Patupat Wrapper Weaving Contest: Weave.Weave.Weave!

    The patupat wrapper is definitely not an ordinary one. It takes a skillful artistry to achieve a beautiful and entirely functional pouch that will make the entire process of patupat making possible and glorious. 

Pozorrubio is a beautiful town filled with warm, welcoming, skillful, talented, and intelligent Pozorrubians. Along its many traditions, Pozorrubio is highly committed to celebrating Patupat Festival in earnest hope to be recognized as the prime producer of the amazing delicacy - THE PATUPAT.

Ang Patupat, Bow!
Galila ed Pozorrubio!

This is Shanerisse, A Proud Pozorrubian.'Till Next Time!