Cuenca, a town in Batangas is known for its panaderos (bakers) and best known with the tasty tinapay (bread) that these panaderos bake. With these, the local Government of Cuenca organized a festival called the “Tinapayan” where most bakers in town show workmanship at its best in “Tinapay Festival,” for the celebration of good tidings for the feast of San Isidro Labrador.
This 2009, Tinapayan festival will have its year 3 this coming June. Townsfolk are sure to decid a more festive celebration with a bread parade, which will showcase creativity and talent of Cuencano bakers. Last year they had a lavishly “breaded” caravan pulled by a water buffalo by the Ang Tinapayan Bakery won then the first place in the parade.
Meanwhile, Cuenca also portrays ala-Pahiyas of Lucban, Quezon with the house-decoration contest using bread as ornaments.
In a statement made for Manila Bulletin, Cuenca Mayor Enrique M. Comia said, “”Other towns and cities in the country like Cebu, for instance, has its otap and Bulacan has its ensaymadas. We want a product that will be known to come only from Cuenca,”
This is why last year, the most anticipated competition was the Wow! Pasalubong Award, a bread-baking contest aimed at producing a product that is distinctly Cuenca. The Department of Tourism has expressed its support for the project.
Mayor Comia added that in the case of Cuenca, such a product will not be difficult to produce as most bakers operating in Metro Manila hail from the town, earning its moniker “Home of the Bakers.”
I’m from Cuenca my home town,