'Mardi Gras' in Lucena

The street dancers with their colorful costumes

The Chami cooking contest

Just like other towns in the Philippines wherein a lot of festivities sprouting this month of May, Lucena City also celebrates a great feast. Conceptualized in 1986 by Atty. Nonoy Miravalles of the Lucena’s Bureau of Internal Revenue, the festival was organized to honor St. Ferdinand, the city’s patron saint.

As a bit of history and info:
Lucena City is believed to have gotten its name to pay tribute to a Spanish friar Mariano Ganja who used to live in Lucena Andalucia, Spain. In the olden times, Lucena’s first names were Buenavista, Oroquieta and Cotta. But on November 5, 1879 under the authority of “Orden Real Super Civil,” the name Lucena was proclaimed. And due to its continuous growth and development, it has become a city on August 6, 1961 through the assistance of then, Senator Lorenzo Tañada and the presentation of proposed law by Representative Manuel S. Enverga. Under Republic Act. No. 3271, it was approved by President Carlos P. Garcia.

Before the festivities usually last for 3 or 4 days but this time it started as early as May 21, considering that the date of the town fiesta is May 30, so it’s a very long festivity this time which eventually evolved into major events that attracts both local and foreign tourists.

Here’s the highlights of the activities:
May 21 - Himig at Galaw song and dance competition at the SM City Lucena's open parking area.

May 23 - was a day of beauty and talent. It began with a Milk Drinking contest, followed by Ginoo at Binibining Pasayahan Beauty Pageant at SM City Lucena’s entertainment plaza.

May 25 - celebrity performances by the rapper Francis M. and not withstanding the added attraction of Anne Curtis and Ryza Cenon and other surprise guest.

May 26 - Chami cooking contest wherein there are about 500 contestants representing the 33 barangays that participated. Chami is one type of pancit which uses Miki noodles.

May 27 - Street Dancing competition wherein the champion received P75,000 if I am not mistaken.

May 28 - the grand Pasayahan parade, this is what most people are waiting, gorgeous floats participated by popular establishments in Lucena such as SM City Lucena, Pacific Mall, Queen Margarette Hotel, Carlos Superdrug, Big Mak, Enverga University and etc. assembled in Quezon National Highschool and march their way to the town proper until they reach the endpoint (Perez Park). By the way whoever wins the Best Float will get P100,000 cash prize.

This years parade are equipped with beautiful floats which also includes the colorful and unique costumes of the street dancers and added attraction was the celebrity Anne Curtis and Troy Montero. James Cooper, a renowned hairstylist was also visible in the grand parade, which was a Lucenahin. Besides the highlights mentioned above, there were other activities going on in Pacific Mall, I’ve heard that there were also celebrity performances, such as those by Kitchie Nadal.

During this long celebration, at night the main streets of Lucena, Quezon Avenue in particular, were close to vehicles. Even the neighboring towns flock together for the “tyangge” scattered in the entire stretch of the main streets, not withstanding lots of live band performances of both local and famous bands at every corner of the streets which seems to be an October feast, due to beers floods. Men and women enjoy not just beer but mostly food in every minor street you’ll see.

More than the glitz and glamour of Mardi Gras in Lucena is the true essence of culture, camaraderie and harmony in the locality.

"Ayan na ang Santo"

“Ayan na ang Santo”, ang mga katagang ito ay madalas mong maririnig tuwing sasapit ang kapistahan ng San Isidro sa Lucena, bagamat mas popular ang Piesta ng San Isidro sa Lucban kung saan ito ay mas kilala bilang “Pahiyas Festival”, lingid sa kaalaman ng marami na ipingdidiwang din ang kapistahang ito sa iba pang bayan sa Quezon, tulad ng Tayabas, Sariaya, Sampaloc at Lucena, subalit di tulad ng sa Lucban kung saan pabonggahan ng mga dekorasyon ng kanilang bahay ng iba’t ibang pabitin at kung sino man ang mapipiling may pinakamagandang dekorasyon ay magkakamit ng kaukulang gantimpalang salapi (tagalong na tagalong yan ha..hehehe), sa Lucena naman ay gumagawa ng mga “pabitin” na sinasabitan ng iba’t ibang gulay (gaya ng upo, repolyo, talong etc.) prutas (gaya ng mangga, saging, pinya etc.) meron ding mga chichiria (tulad ng peewee, oishi etc.) na iniistapler sa palaspas, maaaring ding magsabit ng pera na inilalagay sa plastic ng yelo, para hindi mapunit kapag inagaw, dati nga natatandaan ko pa nung nangangagaw ako merong ngsabit ng mga dollars, syempre nakabantay ako dolyares yun e(ang palitan nun ay $1 – P26) medyo may katagalan na din yang mga panahong yan, pero sa kasamaang palad dir in ako nakaagaw, maliban dito meron ding nagsasabit ng mga sombrero, sabon, shampoo at kung ano ano pa.

Mga banding 4 ng hapon dumadaan ang santo at magsisimula na ang agawan, pero bago dumating ang takdang oras na yan, kanya kanya ng hanap ang mga tao ng kanilang gustong agawin, para mabantayan na nila habang hindi pa dumadaan ang santo, at kung minsan hindi pa man dumadaan ang santo basta my sumigaw ng magic word na “Ayan na ang Santo” maraming na paparanoid at biglang nakukuha ang mga pabitin, kaya naman sa mga panahon ngayon ay itinataas na nila ang mga pabitin para hindi maagaw habang di pa dumadaan ang santo. Kaakibat ng santo ang daang daang mangangagaw na mula pa sa iba’t ibang lugar sa Lucena kaya hindi mo masisisi ang mga ordinaryong mangangagaw na hindi kasama ng santo na bantayan ang kursunada nilang agawin dahil kung makikisabay sila sa tunay na mangangagaw ay madadagaanan pa sila dahil parang stampede ang nangyayari.

Pagkatapos naman ng agawan ay mistulang dinaanan ng bagyo ang buong paligid dahil sa nagkalat na mga palaspas, puno ng kawayan, balat ng chichiria at kendi, gutay gutay na mga gulay at prutas, at kung sweswertihin mga tulo ng dugo..hehehe..minsan kasi sa di maiiwasang pagkakataon merong nasusugatan mula sa mga matatalim na sanga ng kawayan na ibinabagsak sa mga mangangagaw pagkadaan ng santo, imagine mo na lang kung anong nangyayati pagkatapos ibagsak yung kawayan, e di magkukuyugan na yung mga mangangagaw, kaya naman kung minsan ay nagkakaroon ng mga aksidente. Pero liban sa lahat ng ito at napapanatili pa rin ang diwa ng Kapistahan ng San Isidro na “Patron ng mga Magsasaka” na nagpapatunay ng yaman ng ating kultura, ang kapistahang ito ay ilan lamang sa mga kapistahang ipinagmamalaki ng Pilipinas, di matatawaran ang iba pang kapistahan tulad ng Panagbenga Flower Festival ng Baguio, Ati-atihan ng Aklan, Sinulog ng Cebu, Dinagyang ng Iloilo, Masskara Festival ng Bacolod, Kadayawan ng Davao, Moriones ng Marinduque, Higantes ng Rizal, Parada ng Lechon sa Batangas at marami pang iba. Ang mga ito ang nagpapatunay ng yaman ng kulturang Pilipino. “Mabuhay ang Pilipinas !!!” hehehe

LuV kO Si BanTaY

Baywalk (Roxas Boulevard, Manila)

How I wish I was a part of this "Dog Walk for a Cause" which was a record breaking event (this breaks the 5,017 dog marathon record set in England last May 12, 2004 for the biggest number of dogs that participated in a marathon) because I’m a big pet lover, in fact I’ve got a lot of different pets before, whether mammals, fish, reptiles or birds. I used to have a dalmatian, hamster, oscars, goldfish, iguana, garter snake, and pigeons before, right now the only one left behind is my iguana and a hammerhead fish and believe it or not I dreamed of having a Siberian tiger, Burmese python and Philippine Eagle. I love to have those kind of animals someday..hehehe

The primary concept of that event is to help our dogs end their suffering, and bring a total closure on the prevailing demand and cruel treatment of dogs and other pets for human consumption. Hahaha..seems like their pointing me out, as a bit of info, when I was a kid I used to eat lots of dog meat, its tasty but you’ll feel hot inside(not the one your thinking..hehehe).

As a whole the event turned out to be very successful except for the garbage and poops left behind after the marathon, but I guess the main purpose was conveyed.

Adventure's Island

Hundred Islands (Alaminos,Pangasinan)

It’s been another great weekend getaway, this time in Hundred Islands. Its Friday night when we head our way to Pangasinan, our meeting place is in Victory Liner Bus Terminal in Cubao. It’s a 4.5 hours trip from Cubao directly to our hotel (Vista de las Islas) situated in Brgy. Lucap Alaminos City Pangasinan, we rested for about an hour before we proceed to our island hopping activity. According to our guide there about 127 islands, the largest of which is the Quezon Island, which was our first island destination, each and every island has its own unique name some of which are Quezon, Children’s Island, Governor’s Island, Marcos and etc. We stayed in Marcos Island (free accommodation) which was said to have the finest sand, aside from that, there’s an underwater cave, Its been a fun filled day, we were in the beach from 7:30 am till 5pm, thanks for my companions for the supply of sunblock..hehehe…or else I’ve got a sunburn right now, before we head back to our hotel, we do some snorkeling to take a glimpse on the giant clamps. I myself were amazed of the beauty of those giant clamps, its about 3 feet in length.

At night, some of us do some videoke at Ted’s Videoke and Ihaw Ihaw Restaurant which is just in front our hotel, at first everybody seems to be timid in singing, but in the end we still enjoy the night, we had an epic battle with the other group of fellow videokers, (ung mga ksama ko lng pla di kasi ako kumanta..hehehe).

We leave Pangasinan Sunday morning (10am) but before that we buy our respective pasalubongs, boneless bangus in particular. I don’t if it is cheap already but nevertheless, it’s a very nice pasalubong to be with.