Experiencing Pahiyas Festival

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Hubby and I took a spontaneous Friday day off last week. We had an impromptu decision to drive to Lucban, Quezon to see the popular Pahiyas Festival celebration. Lucban is a four to five hour drive South of Manila. Knowing the trip would entail a lot of walking under the heat of the sun we chose not to invite anyone else to come with us. Hence, a full day of sight seeing and strolling without worrying for anyone else getting tired and hungry along the course of the tour. And at this point, hubby and I enjoyed the stroll despite the hunger that we had encountered. All the restaurants and eateries we went to were full with tourist customers. So we had to roam around yet until after lunch time only to find a small table for us in one of the unpopular eateries in the place. All we had for our lunch was a plate of Pancit Lukban, a very easy and quick to serve noodle in that very busy area. It is one delectable dish that has been sought in this town aside from the very popular Longganisa Lukban( a local sausage)

Pahiyas Festival is one of the most colorful celebrations popular in the Philippines. It is celebrated every 15th of May and has become a tourist attraction among the local and foreign tourists alike. It is a thanksgiving celebration for the Patron Saint of Farmers, San Isidro Labrador for abundant harvests they had for the year. Houses here in Lucban are being decorated with colorful “kipings”. This “kiping” is leaf-shaped wafers made of rice dyed in brilliant colors arranged and hung in front walls of the houses for décor. Others, I noticed used other decorative items such as fruits, freshly harvested rice stalks, whole banana plants with fruits in it, fresh flowers and many other colorful indigenous materials. The festivity was so lively even before the parade has yet to begin. We were not able to wait for the parade to move coz it was like a lifetime to assemble and organize a long line of giddy participants. We left the festivity on its peak, delighted and gratified by the complied curiosity.


The beckoning arch of Lucban, Quezon

Coloful "kiping" decors.

Indigenous material decorations.

Palay stalks used as decor roofs.

Various materials are used here for decors.

"Kiping" flowers.

Another colorful "kipings".

The"Higantes" (giant paper mache men with
someone inside it to make it walk)

A group in native attire readying for the parade.

Colorful buri hats on sale along sidewalks.

A group of youngsters posing for various photographers.

Tall men (with the aid of "tsakad")

The popular very tasty Longganisa Lukban.

Our lunch. Not exactly the kind of pancit lukban.

The parade assembly.

Hubby with the sweet smiling band member.

Hubby posing with his fave drink(in paper mache).

Me with the friendly carabao readying for parade.

Passing by a "Higantes" statue decor.

We had this juicy piece of steak in Mini's Steak House in Libis, Q.C.
on the way home. That great ordeal of hunger the past lunchtime was
heartily remunerated.