Lipa City – The Lipa City Tourism Culture and Arts Council is now preparing for the 2017 weeklong celebration of the Kapeng Barako Festival which is set to happen on October 16-21. Kicking off the festival is the city’s attempt to have a Guiness Book World Record for the longest line of people simultaneously drinking coffee. This will be done on October 16, from 6:00am to 9:00am on what the locals knew as the Ayala Highway (part of the JP Laurel Highway which stretches from the Lipa City Hall up to Robinsons Lipa). Several coffee drinking stations will be installed along the stretch, while different business establishments will be providing freshly brewed “kapeng barako” for everyone to sip and enjoy.
Also on October 16 is the launching of the exhibit “Lipa History on Canvass” at SM City Lipa at 10:00am. The exhibit will feature the works of eight artists who volunteered to paint their renditions of the eight different historical eras of Lipa. The featured artists include Joseph Albao, Janina Sanico, Ravenald dela Cruz, Rex Tatlonghari, Rey Bautista, Robert Tiano, Mone Luz and Edward Padilla Jr.. Former Tourism Council President Mr. Alex Maralit will also showcase his illustrations of the Japanese atrocities in Lipa, while former history teacher Mr. Rex Raymond Torrecampo provided a short narrative of the different eras. The exhibit will run from October 16 to October 20. In the afternoon, the talent competition and casual wear competition of the candidates for Ginoong Barako 2017 will be presented at The Events Center of SM City Lipa at 5:00PM.
On October 18, a cooking contest dubbed as “Barako Chef” will be featured at the activity center of The Big Ben Complex. Headed by coffee connoisseur Nina Maralit, the contest will gather the best cooks around the city. Using Kapeng Barako or Liberica coffee as among the ingredients, the participants will be presenting their dish and recipe for entrée (main dish) and dessert. Criteria for judging include taste 30%, texture/consistency 15%, technique used 15%, food safety & sanitation 15%, Presentation 15% and people’s choice 10%. This activity aims to showcase coffee as an important flavor ingredient in savory and dessert dishes while providing a venue for Lipeño chefs and cooks to explore the culinary possibilities of Kapeng Barako as a major ingredient.
The highlight of the festival will be the pageant night and coronation of the Ginoong Barako at Lipa Plaza Independencia on October 21, where nine young men will vie for the title Ginoong Barako 2017. With its thrust to promote Kapeng Barako as one of Lipa’s historical heritage, the winner will be Lipa’s historical heritage ambassador.
