Mountain Province Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan Jr. has ordered the cancellation of the 2026 Lang-ay Festival, citing a national energy emergency and the need to prioritize essential public services over large-scale celebrations.
Lacwasan on March 25 signed Executive Order No. 17, series of 2026, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s issuance of Executive Order No. 110, which declared a state of national energy emergency on Tuesday. The national directive comes as escalating conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt global oil supplies, driving domestic fuel prices to historic highs.
“While the Lang-ay Festival is an important celebration of our heritage, the Provincial Government deems it prudent and necessary to temporarily suspend festival activities in support of national efforts to conserve energy,” Lacwasan said in the order.
The festival, which was scheduled to take place throughout April, is the province’s premier cultural event, typically drawing thousands of tourists for street dancing, agro-trade fairs, and indigenous games.
However, officials noted that the logistics of transporting contingents from the province’s 10 municipalities have become financially untenable.
Diesel prices in the Cordillera region have surged past 130 pesos per liter, leading to a spike in the cost of basic commodities.
Under the new directive, funds originally earmarked for festival prizes and financial assistance to municipalities will be realigned to mitigate the impact of fuel price hikes on local residents.
Major crowd-drawing events, including the street dancing and cultural showdown, have been scrapped to minimize travel and electricity consumption.
Lacwasana added in his order that The province’s 59th Foundation Day on April 7 will still be observed, but through “simple and solemn” commemorative rites rather than the usual week-long festivities.
Earlier this month, the festival steering committee had attempted to save the event by proposing a “scaled-down” version that eliminated evening programs to save on lighting. However, the severity of the national energy crisis led the governor to opt for a full cancellation of major public festivities.
Local trade officials noted that while the main festival is cancelled, small-scale support for local artisans and MSMEs will continue through modified platforms to ensure the local economy does not stall entirely.
“Lang-ay” is a native term meaning to share happiness and promote community solidarity. While the streets of Bontoc will remain quiet this April, provincial leaders urged citizens to embody the spirit of the festival by practicing “sharing and austerity” during the ongoing energy crisis. Roderick Osis