News Feature
By Arlin Fabaliña
It’s that time of a festive week for Cainta again!
Cainta, Rizal, celebrates its 10th year of SumBingTik Festival which stands for “suman, bibingka, and latik”, an annual celebration for the founding anniversary of the town and the feast of their principal patron saint, Our Lady of Light wherein the celebration starts on November 24 to December 1.
History of Cainta
The town name “Cainta” was derived from the legend of Ka Inta. ‘Ka’ refers to a term of respect for the elders, and ‘Inta’, short for Jacinta.
Jacinta was a well known rich and generous lady who helped the hungry and sick. Her house was open to all those who were in need. When she passed away, the people named the town after her, for her good deeds. Another etymology of Cainta is said to be from the two Tagalog words, “Kain Ta”.
As a consequence of the Seven Years War between Britain and Spain, the British invaded Manila in 1762. The British brought along Indian soldiers or sepoys to attack Manila then a Spanish colony. The war ended soon, and Manila was back to Spanish control. However, the Sepoy soldiers chose to stay in Cainta, and settled with the natives. Today, descendants of the Sepoys are very much visible in Cainta, bearing dark skin and prominent Indian facial features.
Bibingka Capital of the Philippines
Cainta, also known as the “Bibingka Capital of the Philippines”, as declared during the 20th century, started celebrating the SumBingTik Festival in 2014.
Influenced by the Indians or sepoys, natives of Cainta learned to make bebinca, a traditional Indian pudding. Cainta’s own pudding is now called the bibingka, a renowned delicacy along with suman and latik. Bibingka, suman and latik are Cainta’s famous delicacies and the core of SumBingTik Festival.
Cainta has been the home of many suman and bibingka vendors who make delicious delicacies. Some of the well known bibingka vendors in town are the Aling Kika’s and Lourdes Special Bibingka.
SumBingTik Festival
This year’s 10th SumBingTik Festival features various activities to the residents of Cainta including Fun-Run Color, Ms. Gay Queen 2023, Biker’s Fun Ride, and Caindakan sa Kalsada Street Dance Competition.
Various people from Cainta and other towns flocked to the one-week celebration of the festival, especially the Fun-Run activity and the SumBingTik House Decoration.
The highlight this year is the annual SumBingTik House Decoration of Brgy. Sto, Nino, a contest by the Local Government of Cainta, wherein houses on the said barangay is decorated with materials used in making the town’s famous delicacies, suman, bibingka, and latik like coconut, coconut husks, suman wrapper or leaves, and other similar material. Visitors can also buy some of these native delicacies in some stores located in Barangay Sto. Nińo.
Cainta’s General Services Office (GSO) is the champion of this year’s SumBingTik House Decoration contest with the Admin Office coming first-runner up and the Krus Sa Nayon Inc., as second-runner up.
Besides the SumBingTik House Decoration, the Grand Float Parade is another exciting part of the festival, where different barangay create their floats and compete with each other.
Brgy. San Juan won the Grand Float Parade Contest this year, followed by FP Felix in second place and Brgy. Sto. Domingo in third.
“Nakasanayan ko na sumali sa mga aktibidades kapag fiesta ng Cainta since mamamayan ako ng Cainta. So, I must participate it kahit hindi naman siya required, I’m just use to it. Kapag sumasali kasi ako every ganap, makikita mo din ‘yung unity of every people participating in every activities. Also, mas napi-feel ko na taga-Cainta ako that I should be proud of being a Cainteños,” Jenny Gavarra said, a resident of Cainta Rizal who annually joins Fun-Run of SumBingTik Festival.
It is also coincidental that Cainta’s SumBingTik Festival is celebrated during the “ber months”, making it more special. During the celebrations, tiangges are also set up along the town for the visitors of SumBingTik festival.
