Pahiyas Festival: The Haven of Glory

As what I promised, I will bring you the season that will surely be missed before the end of summer. Early defined the meaning of Pahiyas Festival along my archive will be redundant.  So I came up for an another sense of writing all the experiences that the 2011 Pahiyas Festival gave. 

As what to be expected the festival is jam packed with both international tourist and local tourist as well. The entire town of Lucban Quezon is decorated by locally made products, products where you can probably found in Lucban, or in Quezon as well.

Their yearly celebration of thanks giving to the patron of farmers San Isidro Labrador is a sign that the Filipinos, especially the Lucban locals doesn't forget the real essence of celebration of the feast or "Fiesta".

Decorations of houses are wide spread inviting each and everyone to experience a day living in a very culture oriented place.

Tourist enjoying their stay on roads of Lucban

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Couple of corns, sold by a corn vendor in the Pahiyas Festival

If you wanted to go and see the next Pahiyas Festival make sure that you make an early booking to the hotels in the barrio, because even locals of Lucban and the nearby towns are booking in the hotels so they can have great view of the town.

Patio Rizal is the most first class hotel in the town, although it is not comparable in the hotels that can be seen in the cities, atleast it can give you the best accommodation in the town at great prices

Patio Rizal view at the Rizal Park of Lucban Quezon, It is also facing the  Bahay Pamahalaan or the Town Hall
Patio Rizal Hotel and Restaurant is situated in 77 Quezon Avenue, Lucban, Quezon Province, Philippines. (Photo by ajpoliquit.wordpress.com)

For those religious traveler, they can also explore the very antique Lukban Church

For those first time travelers who is going to visit in the place, the Pahiyas Festival is annually celebrated on May 15. 

Sarah Lahbati on parade

Here is the itinerary going to Lucban Quezon.
via Commute:
Go to Gil Puyat Lrt station, there lies the two bus lines that bound to Lucena City, (Jac Liner, DLTB Bus co.)
Ask the conductor to bring you in Lucena Grand Terminal wherein the Van ride going to Lucban Can be found.
210 is the bus fare and 40 for the Van, that would be vice versa going back to Manila.

Photo from above is taken in Street parties in Lucban Quezon.
Chanting Gopala the what they call Chant for Peace.

Your visit in Lucban Quezon will surely be a great experience and will drive you to the great ambiance of culture and nature diversity.

Teaser- Pahiyas Festival 2010

Pahiyas Festival is one of the most known fest in the province of Quezon, for it showcases the beauty not only of the place, but the value and culture that the Quezon locals have.

The festival is done yearly as the farmers believe that this festival is considered as a thanksgiving to their patron who is San Isidro Labrador.

They are making the entire town proper of Lucban, Quezon a colorful paradise, creating colorful native materials to attract tourist in their place. 

The colorful leaf like designs are called "Kiping" or rice crips 

The highlight of the festival is a procession along the streets of the image of San Isidro Labrador, to ensure the people's bountiful harvest in the coming seasons. The procession features a pair of giant papier mâché figures of a farmer and his wife. This is followed by the image of the patron saint and his wife Sta. Maria de la Cabeza, who carries a basket with triangulo biscuits, which are given to the children during the procession. This culminates with generous sharing of food among the townspeople.

All the locals' houses are decorated with agricultural harvest (fruits, vegetables, rice grains, rice stalks, flowers, and ferns) and colorful rice wafers, called kiping. These thin wafers made from rice dough are usually arranged into two or three layers of chandeliers called aranya. The locals use different kinds of leaves to add flavor and color to the kiping. They also produce varieties of tastes and textures by using different ingredients such as kabal, coffee, talisay (umbrella tree), cocoa, and banaba leaves.

Each house tries to outdo each other in decorations in an annual competition as they vie for the honor of being recognized for their creativity. After the competition is over and the awards are handed over to the owners of the winning house, the decorations of the house will be thrown away to the huge flock of people as free treats. For the other houses, after the festival, those kipings that were used as decorations are cooked and eaten as rice chips. Also during the festival, the people display their harvest in front of their homes so that the parish priest can bless them as the procession passes by.

Strings and Ties made of Coconut

The highlight of the festival is a procession along the streets of the image of San Isidro Labrador, to ensure the people's bountiful harvest in the coming seasons. The procession features a pair of giant papier mâché figures of a farmer and his wife. This is followed by the image of the patron saint and his wife Sta. Maria de la Cabeza, who carries a basket with triangulo biscuits, which are given to the children during the procession. This culminates with generous sharing of food among the townspeople.

All the locals' houses are decorated with agricultural harvest (fruits, vegetables, rice grains, rice stalks, flowers, and ferns) and colorful rice wafers, called kiping. These thin wafers made from rice dough are usually arranged into two or three layers of chandeliers called aranya. The locals use different kinds of leaves to add flavor and color to the kiping. They also produce varieties of tastes and textures by using different ingredients such as kabal, coffee, talisay (umbrella tree), cocoa, and banaba leaves.

Each house tries to outdo each other in decorations in an annual competition as they vie for the honor of being recognized for their creativity. After the competition is over and the awards are handed over to the owners of the winning house, the decorations of the house will be thrown away to the huge flock of people as free treats. For the other houses, after the festival, those kipings that were used as decorations are cooked and eaten as rice chips. Also during the festival, the people display their harvest in front of their homes so that the parish priest can bless them as the procession passes by.

-WikiPilipinas

Pictures were taken by - Geomyr Delarmente Copyright 2010 

House decorated with "Kiping" and Sitaw

House of a wealthy family in Lucban Quezon

To the interested parties, The Pahiyas Festival will be this coming May 15, 2011 in Lucban Quezon

You may contact me in this number to help you out. 09179601964