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| Splits of binongey and slices of mangoes are served on the table for the Pidudungo activity at the 22nd Binongey Festival. Photo by Apethography Avenue |
There is a delicacy in the municipality
of Anda, Pangasinan that is the star of the feasts. It is meticulously prepared
for hours as glutinous rice, the main ingredient of this food, is soaked in coconut
milk before stuffed inside the bamboo tubes and cooked in low fire. Binongey or
bamboo cake is the town’s specialty that is proudly served by the Andanians at
the tables in their special occasions.
As it is part of the people’s
cultural identity, Binongey Festival is held yearly which is simultaneously commemorated
with the town’s fiesta. Townsfolks of the eighteen barangays have their
showdown in cooking the said rice delicacy which eventually ends in gathering
and communal dining at the plaza and streets of Poblacion.
As a local resident, I have seen how
the town celebrates the festival through the years. There are float parades,
street dancing competitions, and gourmet contests that bring color and
excitement among the spectators.
The local government unit held
the 22nd Binongey Festival last Sunday, May 10, 2026. This year’s
celebration was toned down due to the oil crisis experienced by the country.
The organizers planned to make the occasion meaningful and optimistic in this
challenging time.
My mother and I went to the town’s
plaza to witness the activities there. Hundreds of Andanians watched the events
unfolded.
The eighteen barangays showed
their creativity and culinary skills through their ‘Pidudungo’ set up. The
barangay councils gave their very best to showcase binongey as the main piece
through the stalls and tables. Mango is
indispensable in their presentation as it is the best partner of the bamboo
cake.
Aside from fruits and vegetables,
the stalls are overflowing with sumptuous seafood recipes which are attention-
grabbing. Well, aside from agricultural bounty, Anda is known for its waters
teeming with marine creatures such as fish, octopus, crabs, and shrimp. The stalls
depict the rural life in the island which highly depends on agriculture and
fisheries.
Local products such as salt,
coconuts, and silag (buri) were also displayed and used as decors. What
impressed me is the way the foods were arranged and presented. I saw a map of
Anda made of binongey. The sticky rice was also placed in boat-like containers
which makes one think of going to the beach and savor the specialty. The
competition was an avenue to show how talented and artistic the people of Anda
are.
Moreover, the contingents levelled
up the cooking of binongey. Some did a variety of it like having boiled eggs
with it. Some even used shrimps as toppings. While others have used sweet
ingredients such as coconut caramel sauce. There were different recipes using the
delicacy such as paella, empanada, and embutido. They say that we have our 100
ways of cooking binongey.
As people moved stall to another stall,
they could not help but to drool to what are served on the table. That was a
mouthwatering tour.
The local folks competed for the
longest, biggest, and smallest binongey. The audience marveled on the different
sizes binongey measured near the stage.
The main highlight of the event
happened twilight which is the Pidudungo. This is a Bolinao word for communal
dining. Locals and visitors are invited to partake meal like in a boodle fight.
The food gets more delicious when it is shared.
Binongey Festival brings
Andanians closer. This activity aims to make our connection as one community like
how good quality of binongey must be—sticky. May we have stronger bond and
palatable life whatever we face daily.
Happy Binongey Festival, fellow
Andanians!
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