Fruit fest starts in Kidapawan; local execs eye world record

Despite the threat of terrorism in other parts of Mindanao, the weeklong Timpupo (harvest) Fruit Festival started with a bang in Kidapawan City over the weekend. Sun.Star General Santos reported Monday that the festival, now on its sixth year, started with the traditional fruit float parade Saturday. On August 23 (Thursday), the city will attempt to establish a world record for having prepared the longest table of different fruits. The city government has already constructed a three-kilometer table in the middle of the national highway to be filled with several fruits. Visitors and the locals can eat those fruits for free. "This has been the practice for six years. And every year, we're making it more beautiful and exciting for people to enjoy," said Ma Fe Fame, in-charge of the Tourism and Investment Promotions of the City Government. The festival, whose theme this year is "Timpupo: Handog, Pasasalamat (Timpupo: Offering, Thanksgiving)," is a locally inspired thanksgiving for bountiful harvests of fruits. One of its highlights is the eat-all-you-can scheme involving fruits prepared at the city plaza. "Because fruits are everywhere, they are sold in low, low prices to customers' delight," said city mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco. Other highlights of the Timpupo Fruit Festival this year include the search for the Lakambini ng Timpupo (Lady of Timpupo) for 2007, Miss Fruity Gay, Mount Apo adventure race and wall climbing, fruit galore, street dancing contest, and search for best fruit farm. - GMANews.TV