Inatata Festival

“Inatata” is not a song title, neither a person’s name nor a thing, but it is a glutinous rice-cake delicacy that carries with it the symbolic essence of patience, industriousness, perseverance, humility and unity.

Its origin dates back long before the separation of the Municipality of Sto. Tomas from its mother town Cabagan in 1949. Early migrants from Ilocos Region, before pre-war times, paved the way for the inter-marriages with the “Ibanags” of the town where “Nilapet”, a salty rice-cake, singly wrapped in banana leaves used to be the well-loved “pasalubong” and oftenly served during special occasions.

Majority of the newly wed couples, struggling to start earn a living, continuously improved the palatability of the cake: from salty to sweet, singly wrapped to lashed into ten (10) pieces for easy counting and cooking and few hours of steaming to overnight to prolong the expiry period.

The delicacy underwent several experimentations, but the “Nilapet” brand-name remained as is until such time that it was commercially known. From then on, couples who originally ventured in this small-scale business agreed to change the brand-name. Informal, funny brainstorming ended in several coined brand-names from the “Ilocano” word “Tata/Tatang to address father and “Ina” to address an “Ibanag” mother.

Tatang-ina
Tata-ina
Ina-tatang
Ina-tata

The first 3 coined names were denied since it suggest negative and vulgar meanings, hence their choice “INATATA”.
To date, “Inatata” comes in different flavors, Pandan-Inatata, Lemon-Inatata, Cheese-Inatata and Inatata sa Latik, all best for pasalubong and indispensible for serving during fiestas and other special occasions, hence, the market expansion not only in the Province of Isabela but throughout the valley and other places in the country and abroad.