Bario Onse celebrates Allawagi Festival Year IV

San Nicolas Ilocos Norte—Barrio Onse, or Brgy. 11 San Fernando, in this town, celebrated its annual “Allawagi Festival Year IV”.

The five-day celebration kicked off with a feeding program sponsored by balikbayan sisters Hazelyn, Ruby and Jenny Agustin from New Jersey, USA.

The feeding program was held in the barangay’s Day Care Development Center led by teacher Miriam Currimao, serving 20 kids in the Nursery grade on October 24, 2025.

A walkathon followed on October 25, with residents joining  the 5 am event. A Sumba followed  featuring the “Onse Sumbanatics.”

Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson Jake Dela Cruz held the traditional “Laro Ng Lahi”,  with elementary grade pupils competing. Cash prizes were given to the winners of the native games.

A mass officiated by Father Danilo Guevaras in celebration of the yearly Allawagi Festival every last week of October in the afternoon of the same day.

A bloodletting program conducted by the Mariano Marcos Memorial and Medical Center (MMMMC) was held on October 26,  wherein several barangay residents as well as from nearby barangays donated their blood adding to the barangay-owned blood bank in said hospital.

Secondary and college students, meanwhile, participated in the Mobile Legend (ML) tournament held later in the afternoon held at the barangay basketball court where cash prizes were also awarded to the winners.

On October 27, a livelihood skills training on coated peanut and bamboo shoot pickles were conducted with women organizations in the barangay as participants.

A Halloween trick or treat concluded the fiesta celebration as costumed children went door-to-door around the barangay to ask for treats  from residents. The organizers selected the fairest  and scariest costumes for five years old and below, and six years old and above. Winners received  cash prizes from the Agustin sisters.

The Allawagi Festival is a yearly fiesta celebration of Brgy. 11 in this town which began in 2019 by virtue of a barangay ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Barangay headed by punong barangay Dominic B. Dela Cruz.

“Allawagi” is an Ilocano word which means a carpenter who builds houses, buildings, and any kind of edifices. A number  of carpenters reside in the said barangay along with other skilled  workers.

Dela Cruz also said that the Allawagi Festival comes from the name of the patron saint of Brgy. 11. San Fernando.

St. Ferdinand is the patron saint of Spain, rulers, engineers, and the Spanish Army’s Corps of Engineers.

Dela Cruz expressed his gratitude to all the participants in this year’s Allawagi Festival celebration with special mention to the sponsors and barangay officials. (Rols Burgos)