The good weather was perfect as veteran balloon pilots applauded the favorable wind conditions which they described as “box winds” drifting the rising dirigibles first to the northwest before the winds brought them back to the southeast with thousands of spectators including provincial board members of Negros Occidental, Lakbay Aral delegates from Western Samar and tourists from Southern Luzon.
Balloon pilots explained that the box winds are a set of predictable wind patterns that can be used to navigate the hot air balloons just like what happened in the past balloon festivals here especially in the first festival.
Mayor Mylyn Pineda- Cayabyab said for the past four years this town has been a proud host to one of the country’s premier tourism spectacles, the LIBMF.
Cayabyab said since its inception, the LIBMF has etched the name of Lubao in local and international tourism maps, providing the much-needed lift to promote the town not just as destination for leisure but also for business.
The Municipality of Lubao hot air balloon itself has taken part in festivals of this kind in many parts of the world like Saga in Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Cayabyab said the increased tourism and trade activities in this town is partly due to the LIBMF which generate resources that the local government unit utilizes in the delivery of basic services to the people.
Noel Castro, LIBMF event organizer, estimated that around 8,000 people came in the first day, with the biggest crowd coming in the late afternoon for the music festival.
Castro said they are expecting larger numbers of people over-theweekends where the grand music festival will happen mostly anticipated by the younger generations.
Department of Tourism regional director Ronnie Tiotuico said the LIBMF is a worthwhile tourism project that can propel not only this town to the world stage but the province of Pampanga as well.
Tiotuico also said the continued success of the festival this year and beyond will definitely put it as a tourism destination that can propel the vibrant economic activities here.
Other than a few small kinks here and there like the gate for the chase crew was not opened on time and the sound system was not yet set-up, everything is turning out okay, said Castro.
Among the participating countries are Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam in Asia; The Netherlands, France, Belgium, Turkey, UK, Switzerland, Holland, Spain and Germany in Europe; and USA, Canada and Australia.
The LIBMF is slated until Sunday, April 9, and can easily be reached via the Dinalupihan exit of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
