CANDELARIA, Zambales — Cultural traditions blended with modern fiesta celebration during the three-day Laruk-Laruk Festival held here on October 29 to 31, as the Candelaria community mixed cooking, song, dance, beauty, and sports for fun and community connection.

The Laruk-Laruk Festival is an annual local fiesta to celebrate the tradition of making laruk-laruk, or rice crisp, which signaled the end of palay harvest and the start of thanksgiving for bountiful crops.

This year, Mayor Byron Jones Edquilang and other town officials and community leaders organized a fiesta that brought in popular activities that made the event more festive: a fun run to kick off the fiesta on October 29, followed by a Kadiwa ng Pangulo trade fair, laruk-laruk cooking demonstration, and a singing contest and tourism vlog contest to cap the first night.

On the second day, residents and visitors alike flocked to the “Salo-Salo sa Bilao” feast of homemade rice cakes and other products derived from laruk-laruk; then watched a motor show, and the “Indayog” Cultural Night, which showcased a dance competition.

Finally, organizers whipped up an exciting kayak race early in the morning of October 31, followed by the “Laro ng Lahi” sportsfest in the afternoon, and the presentation of candidates, judging, and crowning of winners in the “Binibining Laruk-Laruk 2025” competition.

Meanwhile, to bring more memorable fun to the fiesta at his hometown, Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. provided cash prizes for top finishers in the Fun Run, as well as raffle prizes consisting of appliances during the awards night. 