Today, July 4, the province of Lanao del Norte celebrates its 66th founding anniversary. This special day, known as Araw ng Lanao del Norte, is always filled with colors, cheers, and pride.
Year after year, Araw ng Lanao del Norte reminds everyone not just of its history, but also of its strength, progress, and unity as a province.
Lucky me – my vacation leave landed perfectly on celebration week! I hardly ever get to join this festival, so I promised myself I’d catch every single activity this time. But at the end, I still missed a bunch. Here’s how that happened:
All the activities on Day 1 were scheduled from morning to early afternoon. And you know what that means – the sun was blazing like it had a personal grudge against humanity.
The heat was so intense that I decided to spare myself from turning into roasted lechon under the sun. Because of that, I missed out on some of the coolest (ironically) and quirkiest contests, like:
• Best Body-Painted Carabaos
• Carabao Racing
• Heaviest Manok (Chicken) Competition
• Baktin (Piglet) Catching Contest
• Milk Drinking Contest
• Egg Eating Contest
• Load Carrying Challenge
Miss Lanao del Norte 2025 Kimberly Quijada
Day 2 was the Search for Miss Lanao del Norte 2025, where they crown the prettiest and smartest lady in the province. Sadly, I wasn’t able to watch this, too. We went for a family outing at a resort that day, and by the time we got home, I was so tired that all I wanted was to sleep.
But here’s the best news – my hometown’s candidate won the crown! Congratulations to Miss Kimberly Quijada of Baroy, our newly crowned Miss Lanao del Norte 2025. Here’s a photo I grabbed from Facebook:
On Day 3, the highlight was the concert of the band Cup of Joe. Honestly, I don’t know their songs, but my twin daughters are big fans. They always play the band’s music videos at home on YouTube. The concert was followed by fireworks, which I also missed because I stayed home.
The one thing I really enjoyed was the Agro, Aqua, and Livestock Fair. I went there twice – first on Day 1 at noon (but didn’t stay long because of the heat) and then again in the evening with my family.
What I loved about this fair were the colorful booths from each municipality of Lanao del Norte showcasing their unique agro products, local delicacies, crafts, and culture. Each booth proudly displayed what their town is best known for – from fruits and vegetables to ornamental plants, native snacks, and handmade items. Sharing here some of the photos I took:
Overall, even if I missed a lot of activities this year, I’m still happy I got to experience Araw ng Lanao del Norte again. There’s always next year to catch what I missed. 🥳
Seafarer and Family Man
I'm Dexter— a seafarer by profession, a traveler by passion, and a homebody by choice.
