CABANATUAN CITY (PIA) — Longganisa took center stage as Cabanatuan City celebrated Banatu Festival 2026, marking the city’s 76th founding anniversary.
The city government, through the City Livelihood and Cooperative Development Office (CLCDO), showcased the city’s signature longganisa at Plaza Lucero through the Cabanatuan Got Longganisa Boodle Fight, the Salo-Solane Longganisa Master Cooking Contest, and a trade fair held alongside the Kadiwa ng Pangulo.
CLCDO Head Lucille Batalla said the initiatives aimed to promote longganisa as Cabanatuan City’s signature product, support small businesses, and boost community engagement during the celebration.
A key highlight was the city government awarding the CABSARAP seal to eight longganisa vendors for their product quality.
“Ang ibig pong sabihin kapag ikaw ay may CABSARAP seal, isa ka sa pinakamasarap na gumawa ng longganisa natin. Ang pamantayan po natin ay, syempre, ang lasa pati na rin ang kalinisan [ng kanilang paggawa] (What this means is that if you have the CABSARAP seal, you are among those who make the most delicious longganisa. Our standards, of course, are taste as well as the cleanliness of their production),” Batalla explained.
The awardees were Nueva Cabanatuan Meat Products/Susan’s Fresh Meatshop, Otya-Lani Meat Store, Ofelia Montes Cabanatuan Longganisa, Cabanatuan’s Finest Longganisa, Connie T. Cerin’s Cabanatuan Longganisa, Union Meat Store, Aling Zening Valencia Cabanatuan’s Special Longganisa, and Emmie’s Meat Shop.
These longganisa vendors were also featured in the trade fair, alongside the Golden Beans and Grains Producers Cooperative, which took part in the Kadiwa ng Pangulo, selling affordable upland and lowland vegetables as well as various fish.
Meanwhile, nine participants from carinderias in Cabanatuan City competed in the Salo-Solane Longganisa Master Cooking Contest, organized by the local government in partnership with Solane Nueva Ecija.
The contestants used longganisa as the main ingredient to prepare creative dishes.
Solane sponsored prizes of ₱25,000 for the champion, ₱15,000 for the first runner-up, ₱10,000 for the second runner-up, and ₱5,000 consolation prizes.
The city government added ₱5,000 to each, raising totals to ₱30,000, ₱20,000, ₱15,000, and ₱10,000, respectively.
Winners include Ulysses Sara of Godoy’s Canteenio as champion, Mhark Manuel Mendoza of Empot Sizzling House as first runner-up, and Irish Delos Santos of Thelma’s Eatery as second runner-up.
Cabanatuan City Mayor Myca Elizabeth Vergara acknowledged the collaboration of public and private partners in supporting the Banatu Festival 2026.
She emphasized that the festival is a community experience for residents to take pride in being Cabanatueños—not just for locals, but for everyone to enjoy and unite as a community.
The Banatu Festival 2026 carried the theme “Hinubog ng Kasaysayan, Pinatatag ng Mamamayan — Cabanatuan, Ipagmalaki Natin.”
Other key highlights, which ran from January 23 to February 3, 2026, included a job fair, TODA Games, Sayaw Cabanatuan, Banatu Run, Youth Night, Drag Queen, Binibining Cabanatuan, and the Gawad Parangal para sa Natatanging Anak Kabanatuan. (CLJD/MAECR, PIA Region 3-Nueva Ecija)
