Puerto Galera’s fine white sand and light blue sea is an instant attraction to locals and foreigners alike. For those who want to bask in the sun or engage in a couple of water sports without spending a hefty amount, Puerto Galera tops the list as a holiday getaway. There are many other good things about Puerto Galera that are often overlooked. Take for instance the colorful Puerto Galera festivals celebrated annually which are very different from other celebrations in the country.
Puerto Galera is just about the only place that has a Banana Festival. Celebrated for a full 2 days in the month of March, this Puerto Galera festival is all about bananas which grow in abundance here. During the Banana Festival there are several competitions held including a banana cook fest where the participant who can come up with the best tasting dish with this fruit as the primary ingredient wins. The focus of this Puerto Galera festival is a particular type of banana called “saba” which is usually cooked prior to being served. The Banana Festival coincides with another local celebration in honor of Puerto Galera’s patron saint, St. Joseph so one can expect double the fun during this event. The Banana Festival is also highlighted by street dancing which the inhabitants prepare for a couple months before the actual celebration. The choreographed dances are performed by the residents adorned in colorful costumes and during the Banana Festival anyone is welcome to join the street party.
Another popular Puerto Galera festival that is highly anticipated is the Reggae Festival which is fairly new. Less than a decade old, the Reggae Festival was first celebrated four years ago in Puerto Galera with several bands participating and sound systems sponsored by big companies installed all over Puerto Galera. The Reggae Festival shows how much the Filipinos love music and that this particular genre has sub-genres that create a wonderful mixture of the traditional reggae with a taste of Filipino. This Puerto Galera festival is enjoyed by tourists and residents regardless of age because this is a chance to mingle under the common language of music. A couple of good bands are discovered during the Reggae Festival and the main attraction of the event is the massive party that goes on throughout the day and gets livelier at night. Resorts in Puerto Galera sponsor the Reggae Festival by providing beach side buffets at affordable prices during this Puerto Galera festival.
The picture we have in our minds of Puerto Princesa is that of a tropical paradise and while this is true, we should include Puerto Princesa festivals in our vision of this tourist spot since these events say so much about the history and culture of the island. Puerto Princesa festivals are events that visitors look forward to seeing because of the fun activities that await and the liveliness of the celebrations.
Pangalipay sa Baybay is a Puerto Princesa festival that is celebrated at the beginning of the second quarter of the year. Because this Puerto Princesa festival happens right at the peak of the summer season where the number of tourists in Palawan are at an all time high, many visitors get to enjoy the Pangalipay sa Baybay. The place where the Pangalipay sa Baybay is celebrated is the bay walk of Puerto Princesa, right on the beautiful beaches of the capital and it starts off with live bands performing.
A parade then follows where locals dressed in colorful costumes and even the indigenous groups participate. The Pangalipay sa Baybay is a chance to learn about the many indigenous groups that inhabit the island of Palawan and interact with them. There are also cheering competitions and dance contests that participants prepare for well ahead of time. The dance contest at this Puerto Princesa festival is called the Summer Danzslam and modern dances are the main theme. The Filipinos love to sing and rest assured during the Pangalipay sa Baybay, there are singing competitions that showcase local talent and because it is happening right on the beach, there is also a swim wear competition for men and women.
Puerto Princesa is known for having among the best and freshest seafood in the entire country and what better way to showcase this than to have a Seafood Festival. The third week of April is when the Seafood Festival is held and the best part of this Puerto Princesa festival is that everyone is welcome to try the amazingly delicious seafood dishes that are prepared for this occasion. Restaurants use the Seafood Festival as an opportunity to show visitors and locals how competitive they are when it comes to food preparation and their dishes range from local favorites to International ones. The biggest lobsters can be enjoyed here and because everything is fresh out of the sea, one can be sure that all the dishes served during the Seafood Festival taste heavenly. There are taste tests during the Seafood Festival but of course one is free to sit down and order a bigger plate of seafood if one enjoyed the sample.
Party mania
As with all other peoples, Filipinos cherish their freedom so much that almost all historical events especially battles are commemorated. There’s the Battle of Bessang Pass in Ilocos Norte on June 14 which led to the surrender of General Yamashita and the end of the Japanese Occupation. Re-enactments abound too like the Homonhon Landing of Fernando Magallanes on March 16 and the Balangiga Victory of the Filipinos over the American troops in Samar on September 28.
Historical celebrations like these need the direct involvement of local government units as much as religious events need the guidance of the parishes. This influence of the LGUs is especially seen in festivals celebrating the founding of the various towns, cities, provinces or regions. In Butuan at Agusan del Norte, people celebrate the establishment of the city charter on the Adlaw Hong Butuan while the entire province of Sorsogon become one big party venue during the Kasanggayahan Festival from October 10 to 17.
By now, you may have realized the inexhaustible talent of the Filipino for celebrating every imaginable event from the gargantuan to the minute. And size or importance doesn’t matter, every celebration is grand be it the usual or the strange. Take for example the surrealistic Tawo-Tawo Festival in Negros wherein gigantic scarecrows are paraded as people dance along, the playful Obando Fertility Rites in Bulacan where childless couple go to or the ghoulish Taong Putik of Nueva Ecija where devotees of St. John the Baptist cover their bodies with mud and dried leaves.
Beauty in variety
While the Filipino passion for festivities doesn’t seem to know any boundaries, not all celebrations cater to the worldly desire for fun. Communities all throughout the country also come up with programs or events aimed at raising the civic consciousness of its populace like cleanliness and beautification drives, and environmental protection campaigns like tree planting. What is truly fun though on these events are the side highlights like small skits presented by young people.
And as a country of multi-cultural ethnicity, an entire year of celebrations wouldn’t be complete if there weren’t festivities identified with other cultures. There’s the Chinese Lunar Year celebration, an event which many Filipinos have come to embrace for its spectacular fireworks, lively Dragon dances and the sumptuous Chinese cuisine. Don’t forget the Eid Al`fitr and Eid Mubarak of the Muslim Filipinos down south, which are celebrations marking the ending of the Ramadan and the Hajj season, respectively.
What is the Masskara Festival?
Ever heard of a weeklong festivity that gives local and foreign visitors the chance of a lifetime to drink and be merry for twenty days? Nothing beats the Masskara Festival of Bacolod City. Call it a combination of the Mardi Gras and the Oktoberfest where you will find a huge parade and a lot of drinking. The Masskara Festival is a hip escape from the insanity of the world into colorful days of outrageous partying.
Bacolod City is well known all for its Masskara Festival during the month of October. The Masskara Festival is hosted by Bacolod City during the first two weeks of October. A horde of visitors, both local and foreign, enjoys twenty days of beer drinking, dining, and street dancing at the Masskara Festival. Talk about serious Filipino partying.
The Masskara Festival was originally instituted to commemorate the hardships of the people of Negros Province. The original idea behind the Masskara Festival was to promote a time of happiness to a down trodden people.
Masskara Festival has gone a long way since its humble beginnings and is now able to generate revenues for big businesses due to tourism. It has taken its festive spirit through a path that leads to progress for the locals of Bacolod City.
The term Masskara is coined from two words -- mass, meaning a crowd and the Spanish cara, the word for face. Masskara has a double meaning, first is "mask" and the second one is "many faces". Cultural artist, painter, and cartoonist Ely Santiago coined the term in 1980.
The symbol of the Masskara Festival is a smiling mask, which was envisioned to show that the people Negros Province manifests a happy spirit in spite of all the crisis they have gone through.
Throughout the two weeks of the Masskara Festival, the people from other neighboring provinces flock to Bacolod City for the celebrations. Everyone joins in on the round the clock feasts. Colorful and lively parades abound in people wearing masks and costumes representing various organizations from the government and private groups.
If you're not the into the hype of street dancing why not try the pig catching event which is a sure hit among the locals during the Masskara Festival. A host of other competitions are also held which includes a mask making contest and a disco king and queen competition.
Throughout the two weeks of the Masskara Festival, people strut around in brightly colored costumes vying for the prize to be awarded to the one who makes the best mask outfit. The Masskara Festival boosts Bacolod City's tourism not only because of the huge flock of visitors it attracts but also for the orchids and handicrafts that are sold on sale during festivities.
The Masskara Festival is a symbol of the Filipino spirit that remembers to be happy in spite of tough times. No wonder Filipinos are called the people of happy smiling faces.
[Tags]Masskara, Bacolod, Negros, Philippines, Masskara Festival, Fiesta[/Tags]
The whole year round Philippine fiestas of all kinds mark the Filipino calendar. Not only popular saints but also the most obscure ones are given a place for celebration. Why has this practice been imbedded in the Filipino culture?
To appease the gods---this was a key factor in ancient pagan worship in the Philippines. Mystical religious beliefs before the Spaniards came centered on worshipping gods believed to control certain aspects of life---livelihood, family, health, wealth, and others. To make life better, the belief said, regular ritual offerings to these gods had to be done. The gods seemed quickly angered by the smallest mistakes and vented wrath on livelihood and nature. The practice was somehow carried over into modern times so that one reason still used for Philippine fiestas is to stave off calamities and ill luck, aside from thanksgiving for good harvest, and ask lots of wishes.
A pledge. Philippine fiestas are like capital poured into investments. They have to be celebrated grandly to ensure good life ahead. The bigger money poured out for a Philippine fiesta the surer the return of investment (ROI). So, for a higher ROI a devotee should spend more to celebrate a fiesta. Smaller investments result to smaller yields.
If one wishes for more harvests from fields or the sea, or more luck in business or employment, or physical healing, or more rain, then one ought to dole out more quality meals in a fiesta celebration. If one’s really financially hard-up, then the alternative is to have active parts in the celebration---dance in the streets, help carry or pull a mounted statue, help in the fiesta preparations, or plain behave well throughout the celebration. And here’s the key to all these: the devotee has to pledge or promise to keep this going each annual Philippine fiesta.
Finally, Philippine fiestas have been “balik-bayan” incentives, or come-ons for expatriates, to visit or come back for good to the municipalities or cities celebrating them. Since pre-Hispanic times, Filipinos have been known to live in other countries. Later, they ventured to farther places like the US and Europe. Philippine fiestas lure them back to reminisce old times and be also celebrated in the community as overseas “heroes.”
Philippine fiestas are as many as there are sitios (districts) and barangays and cities and provinces in the Philippines. And they’re here to stay to keep Filipinos reaching out to the future as they stake out in the present while reminiscing the past.
Fire works accompanied by a loud band marching in the streets, people clad in aboriginal costume, and people racing to get in line for a front-seat view of the parade... These and more are the common sights of the Philippine fiesta celebrating the so-called religious feast of the Sto. Nino.
Commemoration of this Philippine fiesta goes on around the country in different seasons, depending on the date of a sighting tale of the Sto. Nino. Long ago the “boy Jesus” was said to have landed on Philippine shores and made several miracles in different parts of the archipelago. This was, according to tales, when the boy Jesus “disappeared” from biblical accounts, when he was aged 12 to 30. And those times, according to this tale, he went to the Philippines. Allegedly, where the boy Jesus did miracles, a Philippine fiesta emerged.
Other versions of the religious feast say an old image of the boy Jesus from Spain or other religious country was brought to their place. The said image did lots of miracles, again triggering a religious feast, falling on a date when the miracles started. This again made for another Philippine fiesta of the Sto. Nino on a different date.
This religious feast is celebrated various ways. Some parade an image of the Sto. Nino around the community to be kissed and caressed by devotees. This is accompanied by band playing, parade of marchers in aboriginal costumes, several native games at the plaza (town center), special numbers on a makeshift stage, and a feast or a grand supper later in the community or each home. A Philippine fiesta is always characterized by much eating and merry making, and outsiders and tourists are often invited to witness this religious feast.
In other places, an image of a “urinating” Sto. Nino is paraded. As people gather to touch it, a mechanism triggers the statue to “urinate” on the crowd. Anyone who got pissed on is supposed to receive favors of healing or fortune. Other places observe this Philippine fiesta by parading the image aboard a “pagoda” or a makeshift elevated raft where lots of people join the image in touring the river banks of the town. The rest of the crowd catch up with the pagoda by following it by the river banks on foot.
Though these religious feasts may differ in dates and styles, they all agree that the celebration of this Philippine fiesta ought to be fun---as befits the birthday of a kid. Some mischiefs are allowed to make the religious feast a semblance of a children’s party.
In some parts of the Philippines, Holy Week has become a sort of street opera for tourists - with multiple crucifixions, marathon chants and a myriad of flagellants. This week-long spectacle draws thousands of participants, as well as interested spectators.
At the beginning of the week, people engage in marathon chanting of the Christ’s Passion in their little makeshift chapels. The devout singers are mostly comprised of old ladies who take their turns in singing hymns from the pages of the bible. This is a twenty four hour commitment which continues up to Black Saturday, as the religious await the Lord’s resurrection.
Be warned that many of these street tents are located near hotels and Inns and they broadcast their chants over loud speakers so you may want to re-think where you find lodging. During the day is one thing, but being kept up all night might ruin your daytime activities.
Meanwhile, other people are kept busy preparing their religious floats for the Holy Week processions. These are owned by the more affluent residents of the town and are mostly handed down from generation to generation and kept in impeccable condition due to their belief that the figures on their carriage guide them to a bountiful and comfortable life. Each carriage is decorated with gold and bronze plated frames and adorned with cloying flowers and set in blown glass and candlelight.
By three o'clock on Good Friday, the whole town is imbibed in a seemingly sullen mood. The pious kneel before household altars to recite various litanies. Some religious fanatics flog themselves to fulfill vows of penitence. Still others, test amulets, which they vow are authentic and would protect them from any harm, physical or otherwise. At Mount Banahaw, a supposedly sacred mountain in the province of Quezon, pilgrims from various religious sects and cults worship their deity at caves, rivers, rocks, waterfalls, streams, pools and springs until the dawn of Black Saturday.
Easter Sunday is the culmination of the whole commemoration of Holy Week. Unlike the previous days, this is a time for joy and merriment. The mood is festive and the people are busy preparing an Easter feast. A theatrical play takes place at dawn, the risen Christ meeting his sorrowful Mother. The two images come from different sides of the street and meet at the town church’s facade. The people clap and cheer and once again, sing praises of hymn.
It is truly a unique experience for a tourist to witness the Filipino’s celebration of Holy Week. For the locals, this is where religious fervor, theatrics and camaraderie blissfully collide.
[Tags]Holy week, Philippines, Events, Holidays, Holy Week Celebrations, Philippine Holy Week, Filipino, Good Friday[/Tags]
The island of Palawan is not just home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, it is also a place where celebration happens pretty much all year round. Palawan Festivals and Events are among the factors that draw in tourists to this island and these showcase the warmth and hospitality of the inhabitants. Palawan Festivals and Events also give us a chance to learn more about the history, culture and values of the inhabitants of this island.
The first event up on the calendar when it comes to Palawan Festivals and Events is the Tarek Festival. The Tarek Festival is held in the municipality of Aborlan, some 75 kilometers away from Puerto Princesa City. The Tarek Festival is a ritual performed every year by two indigenous groups, the Batak and the Tagbanuas. This is held every 3rd weekend of January and among the highlights are traditional dances performed by the tribes complete with their colorful costumes. This is also a time when we can see the importance of the local priests in the lives of the indigenous community and the Tarek Festival is an opportunity for them to establish contact with local deities.
The next on our list of Palawan Festivals and Events that occurs after the Tarek Festival is the Puerto Princesa Foundation Day. As can be concluded from the name of the event, this is held in the capital city of Palawan and it commemorates the day that Puerto Princesa by virtue of a Presidential Proclamation was declared a highly urbanized city. Puerto Princesa Foundation Day is on the first week of March and here Palawan’s strengths are on display such as their agricultural powers, their skill in dancing and sports and there is much merry making that happens on this day. Puerto Princesa Foundation Day is an event that hasn’t been celebrated for over a decade since the declaration of Puerto Princesa as a highly urbanized city happened less than 5 years ago.
Of all the Palawan Festivals and Events, they say that the most unique is the Cuyo Festival. Similar to the Puerto Princesa Foundation Day, a lot of merry making happens at this event and it involves painting one’s entire body in soot. The highlight of the Cuyo Festival is the street dancing to the beat of drums as compared to choreographed dancing during Puerto Princesa Foundation Day.
Philippine fiestas are a lot of fun. In general these fiestas include native sports which are referred today as games. Let’s take a look at them.
The most popular Philippine fiesta game is “Palasebo” or the lard hobby. Allegedly, this used to be an athletic training technique which later evolved into a native community pastime. A tall bamboo standing in the middle of an open space is lavished with lard or oil from top to bottom. A small flag is placed on top. The idea is to have one contestant climb the pole without any climbing implement, and half naked. Moreover, contestants of this Philippine fiesta game must have their bodies poured with oil to further toughen up the climb. At times they have all contestants simultaneously climb the pole. The lone survivor to take the flag down is champion of this Philippine fiesta game.
Hitting the hanging earthen pot, or “Palayok” is another favorite Philippine fiesta game. This can well pass for a Zen meditation technique but for the noisy crowd around. A small earthen pot is hanged through a net in the middle of a wide open space. The contestant of this Philippine fiesta game is blindfolded and given a small wooden bat. The idea is to find the way to the pot and hit it solid to break it. The net secures the broken pieces from flying away and hitting someone. At times this Philippine fiesta game varies a bit and the hanging pot is made to dangle for a more challenging hit.
Breaking lose several pigs in a secured perimeter is another Philippine fiesta game. The ground is kept muddy and the male contestants are topless. The idea is to go after the pigs and at least catch one and bring it to the judges. This Philippine fiesta game is a lot of mess but everybody enjoys it.
Another is “Pabitin” or hanging dole outs. This Philippine fiesta game uses a mat of bamboo sticks forming a flat lift. It is suspended in the air. Lots of goodies and toys hang from it, practically covering it. Children stand below waiting for it to be randomly lowered and raised. As the flat lift is lowered the kids jump to grab what they can from the goodies. Then it is raised again for another round.
Philippine fiesta games are distinctly Filipino and are designed for rough, rustic play. They are athletic activities good enough to become sports.
The moro-moro seems to have its origin from the crusaded which, according to history, was a combat between Christians and Muslims. Its characters were drawn from the royalties of both protagonists who were kings, emperors, queens, princes, princesses, and respective warriors who wore costumes that glitter in the evening.
On the other hand, the zarzuela is woven from the common Filipino plot involving a girl from the elite and rich, and a poor but good-looking boy who fell in love with each other against the good wishes of the former’s parents. Among the commoners, a zarzuela is rated as good it is could make them cry.
Between the two entertainers, the elderly folks prefer the moro-moro to the zarzuela. They readily forked out their contributing to the assessment for the fiesta provided that the entertainment would be a moro-moro which lasts for five to seven nights of presentations.
The nightly entertainment is a welcome interlude of the young people of opposite sexes to see each other. Especially from the female gender, it is a good excuse to give to their parents, to go out in the night under the pretext of seeing the moro-moro or zarzuela.
The highest point of interest in the moro-moro is the so called encanto because it showed colorful and varied fireworks. It usually drew a huge number of spectators, coming even from neighboring towns.
The encanto was spawned by the fight between the hero and the forces of evil, consisting of giants and their minions, who called for the lightning and thunder as aids to the combat. Then, after the smoke and fury of the firefight, the hero proudly stood as the victor against the monstrous and fiery villains and allies.
In recent years following my retirement, I visited my native place. I was sad to note, however, that while there have been still the nine-day novena, solemn mass, grand ball, and procession, there was no more diana, bispera, moro-moro, and zarzuela.
The membership of the town band, otherwise called Macrohon Veteran Band which did the early morning Diana, was dissipated because of death or migration to other places for greener pasture. The old members passed away into the great divide while the younger ones migrated in search of better livelihood.
The grand ball or baile in the dialect, was no longer held in the open air municipal tennis court but in a covered court constructed in front of the area where our ancestral house used to stand. It was erected in place of the old and dilapidated school building which, according to our elders then, was constructed by the Japanese.
Well, enough of childhood memories but by the time I was finished reminiscing, the arrival area of the airport announced the new balikbayans. I was excited to meet my cousins and share with them my fiesta memories. In time, they too will form their own memories to share with the rest of the family.