The third edition of the Barako Festival, which opened here Thursday, is not just a celebration of Batangas province’s high-quality coffee variety.

It also highlights the top products of each city and municipality and how they create jobs and boost the local economy.

“Hotels are fully booked. Restaurants are always full. It couldn’t get any better than this,” Bryan Diamante, president and chief executive officer of organizer Mentorque Productions, said during a press conference.

Some 250,000 guests came to each of the first two editions while about 500 small business enterprises participated.

Aside from the trade booths, there are also food stalls and playground with giant inflatables. The motocross, billiards and 3×3 basketball competitions will determine the winners at the event’s closing.

A job fair will be open until Saturday while concerts will entertain guests for two nights.

All activities of the three-day event are being held at the vacant spaces along the Manila-Batangas Bypass Road.

Coinciding with the event kickoff, Section 3 of the bypass road was inaugurated by Lipa Mayor Eric Africa and gubernatorial candidate Vilma Santos-Recto, who also held the province’s top post from 2007 to 2016.

The first 1.73-kilometer of the 5.39-km project of the Department of Public Works and Highways — from Barangay Inosloban going to Barangay Plaridel-San Lucas to Sto. Toribio Barangay Marawoy at the Star Tollway exit — opened in March 2022 while the next 1.85 km became passable a few months later.

A groundbreaking was likewise held for “The Bean at Barako Triangle,” a park with a structure shaped like a coffee bean which will be the main tourist attraction in the area.

About 90 percent of the country’s barako (Liberica) coffee production comes from Batangas and Cavite provinces.

Batangas is also famous for lomi, a soup-based thick egg noodle soup with pork or chicken meat and pork rinds; fish dishes, like sinaing na tulingan (bullet tuna steamed in clay pot over low fire); and sinigang na bulalo (soup dish with beef shanks and vegetables).

Meanwhile, Santos-Recto dismissed criticisms of an impending family dynasty, saying she is focused only on public service.

“Let the people judge us. Earning their trust and people thanking us, those are priceless,” the multi-awarded actress said during the same press conference.

She was accompanied by her fellow administration-backed candidates, including her sons, vice gubernatorial candidate Luis Manzano and sixth congressional district (Lipa) representative aspirant Ryan Christian Recto.

Santos-Recto held the same congressional post for six years following her nine-year stint as governor. (PNA)