CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines— The popular “Kumbira” (feast), Mindanao’s culinary festival here is scrapped due to the ongoing Marawi crisis.
Kumbira, is a popular cooking competition which showcases the best of Mindanao’s culinary, it has been running for the last 20 years but organizers last week decided to scrap the contest as six major sponsors withdrew support.
Kumbira is the second Mindanao major festival scrapped due to the Marawi crisis.
The first festival was affected was the country’s biggest beach party, the SarBay festival (Sarangani Bay festival) scheduled last May 26 and 27.
Kumbira is spearheaded by the Cagayan de Oro Hotels and Restaurants Association (Cohara).
Cohara vice-president Eduardo Pelaez said the decision was reached following the withdrawal of six major sponsors.
“The sponsors are not willing to send their staff here because according to them, they are not going to risk their (safety),” Pelaez said, referring to the ongoing hostilities in Marawi City, some 130 kilometers southwest of this city.
He said the problem was also compounded by the pullout of contestants from several schools in Iligan and Marawi cities.
School-based participants to the annual cooking competition number at least 100 participants, who would have vied for several cooking contest categories at Limketkai Atrium from August 16 to 18.
The three-day cook fest would have featured professional chefs and culinary students besting each other to produce some of the best traditional Filipino foods, such as Humba Lumba, Sinuglaw Espesyal, Coffee Desserts, Biko, Pineapple Flambe, Artistic Bread Showpiece, Plated Filipino Dessert, Fresh Fruit Platter with Carving, Pastry and Dessert, Latte Art and Modern Filipino Set.
Started in 1996, Kumbira has long been touted as Northern Mindanao’s answer to the prestigious World Food Expo held every year in Metro Manila.-Newsline.ph with PNA report
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