Romblon Marble Festival, also called simply Marble Festival, is the annual festival where the marble industry takes center stage in the province of Romblon, Philippines every second of January. Its schedule coincides with the yearly religious event called Biniray Festival in honor of Sto. Niño. Activities in both fests are held in Romblon, the capital of the province.
The province also celebrates Romblon Foundation Day every March 16.
History of Romblon Marble Festival
The first Romblon Marble Festival was launched at Romblon Shopping Center on January 13, 2011. It was conducted within the tenure of then governor Eduardo Firmalo to promote the marble industry for which the province is known.
Marble industry in Romblon
Romblon is part of the Southwestern Tagalog Region which is also known as MIMAROPA (an abbreviation that represents the provinces of Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan). Deposits of marble were discovered and quarried in the Romblon mainland as well as in the islands of Alad and Corbador as early as the 19th century.
Since then, it’s become an indispensable industry and has grown to an extent that it is closely associated with the province. Its supply consists of different varieties, colors, and compositions that are created into many household and souvenir items and shipped into other areas in the country and abroad as finished products or as raw material for construction, arts, interior design, sculpture, monuments, architecture, and gravestones. Its quality, production, supply that leads the rest of other provinces in terms of volume, and export have earned Romblon the distinction as the marble capital of the Philippines.
Romblon Marble Festival Activities
Activities of the Romblon Marble Festival mostly take place Romblon Shopping Center located in the capital of the province.
One of the mainstays of the Marble Festival is the contest. In its maiden year, it was a statue carving competition of mother and child. It has since expanded to include sculpture, creative design, jewelry and accessories. The competition is aimed to exhibit the best products and the skills of many artisans.
A marble exhibit is also put up where suppliers showcase and promote their products.
How to reach Romblon
The most convenient way is to take a flight from Manila Airport to Tugdan Airport, the only airport in the province. Alternatively, take a bus from Metro Manila (Cubao or Buendia) to Batangas and from its RORO port take a ferry to the island-province of Romblon.
References
- PIA-MIMAROPA. Marble Festival muling ginanap sa bayan ng Romblon. Philippine Information Agency – Region 4B. January 22, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2022
- Romblon. MIMAROPA – National Economic Development Authority. Retrieved October 2, 2022
- 7th Marble Festival to feature different crafts made of Romblon Marbles. Romblon News. Retrieved October 2, 2022
- Romblon to host marble festival. The Mindoro Post. January 15, 2011. Retrieved October 2, 2022
Romblon Marble Festival Summary
Name Romblon Marble Festival Celebration Industry, Marble Contact 0948 576 3992 Country Philippines Date Second week of January Duration A few days Email Provincialtourismoffice.Romblon@gmail.com Established January 13, 2011 Facebook www.facebook.com Location Romblon Organizer Provincial Government of Romblon Other Names Marble Festival Simultaneous event Biniray Festival Website experienceromblon.ph
| Name | Romblon Marble Festival |
|---|---|
| Celebration | Industry, Marble |
| Contact | 0948 576 3992 |
| Country | Philippines |
| Date | Second week of January |
| Duration | A few days |
| Provincialtourismoffice.Romblon@gmail.com | |
| Established | January 13, 2011 |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Location | Romblon |
| Organizer | Provincial Government of Romblon |
| Other Names | Marble Festival |
| Simultaneous event | Biniray Festival |
| Website | experienceromblon.ph |