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Every year in the third week of October, people from the island province of Camiguin get together to celebrate the Lanzones Festival.

It is believed that the festival started in 1979, with residents celebrating the fruit that grows from the Lanzones tree or Lansium Parasitucum.

The lanzones fruit is popular and a favorite among Filipinos, who can't get enough of its sweet and tangy flavor.

Camiguin is abundant with lanzones, making it among the top producers of the fruit in the entire country alongside Batangas, Quezon, Davao del Norte, and Zamboanga del Norte, among a few.

However, Camiguin is famous for producing lanzones that are sweeter in taste as compared to the rest.

Agriculture experts credited the province's fertile volcanic soil for this wonder. According to studies, volcanic soil is rich in potassium and phosphorus nutrients making it conducive for growing plants and trees.

In Camiguin's case, the province is home to seven volcanoes.

Interestingly, the island province's origin can be traced to a succession of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that occurred many years ago.

Thus, Camiguin is referred to as the island “Born of Fire.”

Going back to the annual event, the Lanzones Festival is usually celebrated for four days and coincides with the harvest season of the month.

The festival features the island's lanzones produce, activities ranging from agricultural to community events.

Last year, the festival took the online route due to the threats of COVID-19 and to safeguard the safety of residents and visitors.

Fortunately, 2021 promises to be different as local officials have decided to reopen Camiguin to tourists through Executive Order No. 114 signed by Gov. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo.

Camiguin will officially open its borders on October 25, right in time to mark the Lanzones Festival.

Only fully vaccinated tourists will be welcomed to Camiguin, with visitors required to register with the CleanCamiguinQR, must have an advanced booking to an accommodation facility, and present a negative result from RT-PCR test.

Stay tuned for more details about this year's festivity by checking the Lanzones Festival Facebook page.

Meanwhile, sharpen your knowledge of the lanzones with these quick facts:

• The scientific name of lanzones is Lansium domesticum.
• The fruit originated in western Malaysia and is grown in tropical Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• Here in the Philippines, the lanzones tree is one of the preferred trees to plant for reforestation.
• There are different varieties of Lanzones, namely, jolo, longkong, paete, and duku. Each one differs in size, tree form, and even in appearance.
• A lanzones tree can live for 100 years and can bear fruit for 10 or 30 years.
• A lanzones fruit has many health benefits including remedies for ulcers, relieving diarrhea, regulating blood sugar levels, and treatment for fever. It also boosts the immune system.
• Some of the vitamins and minerals found in lanzones are vitamin B1 and B2, iron, phosphorous, calcium, protein, magnesium, and carbohydrates.
• A lanzones tree typically measures 15 to 30 cm high.

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