SORTEO FESTIVAL

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Sorteo was first done in the town in 1861 or four years after Carmona, then called Barrio Latag, was separated from its mother town of Silang on February 20, 1857, through a decree approved by the Spanish monarch.

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Since then the twon of Carmona in Cavite has been celebrating its founding anniversary with the traditional week-long Sorteo (Lottery) Festival. The festival is one of a kind in the country, if not in Asia.

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Sorteo is a Spanish word which means raffle or draw. The original event gave qualified town folk a chance to win the right to cultivate farmlands rent-free for three years.

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The festival’s highlight is the three-day and four-night “Sorteo ng Bukid ng Bayan” (Lottery of Town Land Parcels) where 109 land parcels will be given to raffle winners who will return the land to the local government after three years so that others may have a chance to get the farm lot, also through draws, and earn from it.

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The festival usually starts Tuesday morning with the “Ani ng Kinabukasan” (Harvest of the Future) event, parade of floats and dances and band-playing, among others, at the town hall area.

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