During the American times here in the Philippines, a civilian government was created in November 1900 in the province of Benguet. Last November 23, 2019, the province celebrated its 119th foundation day and this was in accordance to the Adivay Festival.

The president declared the previous day as special holiday for the reason to give time and allow preparation for every municipality to participate for the next day's event. Some will still have to travel some hours to reach La Trinidad, the center of the province where the festival and foundation is held.

The parades including float parade were held on Saturday.

A lot of activities were lined up for this event which included medical programs, fruit and vegetable contest, national juice preparation, rice corn blend orientation, taste testing, invitational arnis tournament, football kasibulan, Milsim airsoft invitation, pinaka-best fruit and vegetable, battle of the bands and the grand Canao.

The grand Canao was done last November 23 and held at Wangal, La Trinidad on the grounds of Benguet Sports Center.

Canao is a traditional ceremony of the Cordillerans and practiced during events and occasions such as marriage, death and feast.

Pigs are butchered and then cooked and fed to the people during the grand Canao. Amidst all this, was the traditonal dance in compass to the rhythm of gongs and drums.

During the grand Canao, all the 13 municipalities gathered together. Each municipality set up a tent to perform the butchering of pigs and the feeding of their constituents.

When I got there, they were almost ready to feed the people. The sounds od gongs we call gangsa and drums we call solibao can be heard in the air coming out from every tent. Also, smoke comes out from every municipality. The delicious smell of cooked food waft through the air pervading senses.

Large vats were used to cook food. These were then divided into plates to be distributed to the masses.

This festival is to celebrate the foundation of the province and as a Thanksgiving for a good year.

In relation to this, Adivay is celebrated, an agro-tourism festival. Adivay is an Ibaloi term for gathering. It is the coming together of the people of Benguet to celebrate and have fun and entertainment aside from promoting and rediscovering the culture, people, industry, arts, trade and craft of every towns.

So both festivals go hand in hand to celebrate Benguet.

There were lots of activities surrounding the Canao area, horseback riding to the north, trade fair and market encounter to the east, tournaments to the west and pageants to the south.

Adivay is a month-long event held every November in the municipality of La Trinidad.