As a tribute to San Isidro for a bountiful harvest, a fiesta dubbed as the
Pahiyas Festival (NOT Pahiyas FILM Festival) is held annually in the town of Lucban (Quezon
Province) every May 15. This
lively celebration involves the selection of a route from and back to the
church, wherein each and every family with a house on the said path is given
ample time to transform their abodes into colorful works of art in honor of San
Isidro who traverses the same route (his statue, not his ghost) after the 7 AM
mass during that day. Popular choices for decorations include kiping (colorful
and edible), vegetables, and this year: a British flag with a picture of the
newly married royal couple. Are they from Quezon too?
My day started at
12 midnight and I had a 12-hour sleep before that. Energy! After slacking off and having
a short stopover at Burger Machine to buy food, I rode a jeep at Buendia going to the JAC Liner terminal near the
LRT. You would not miss this terminal unless you have been deprived of the ability
to read very large letters that form the abbreviation JAC. This bus line
takes pride in being the first to offer WI-Fi on board. I did not test it
though. I had to conserve my phone battery, which proved to be quite useless
later on. I was among the last to board at 1:20 AM but a chubby girl beat me
to the last seat. According to the security guard, a bus departs every thirty
minutes. No problem. Perhaps out of pity, the conductor allowed me to take his
seat by the door. Or maybe he just did not want to be the first to die if we meet
an accident. We left at 1:20 AM.
An hour after we
were already at Turbina in Batangas (or Laguna?). The trip at the South Luzon Express Way
was smooth and quick. A few people got off and I was able to secure one of the
seats in front. The bus conductor then loaded a movie called Naked Weapon,
which involved a lot of half-naked girls impaling
each other with broken toothbrushes. Now this is how you should start
your morning routine! We reached the border town of Tiaong after an hour and finally, the Lucena
Grand Terminal after another. Three hours was the total travel time from
Buendia sans traffic.
I ran into a
former workmate as I boarded the jeep. Most of the people inside also seemed
like local tourists. The jeepney ride took 30 minutes to reach Kamay ni Hesus. Ten
minutes later, we reached the South
Luzon State
University where the jeep
was no longer allowed to proceed any farther. The fare is 30 pesos. 40 if your
driver is suffering from a self-imposed premature memory gap.
It started to
drizzle when we got off the jeep. After a very wet Bicol excursion which left
me with a two-week pulmonary tract infection, you would understand how I would
want to at least strangle the rain if it suddenly became a person. The good
news is that it disappeared as I walked to the town proper. Across the city
hall was a concert set being prepared at the plaza. Go straight ahead and you
end up at the church. I rested there for 10 minutes before I ventured out to
follow San Isidro’s
path this year. It would be interesting to note that the church is actually
dedicated to San Luis, a figure of whom you would immediately see upon entering
via the church’s side entrance. San
Isidro is given a spot at the back of the church but
I bet he does not mind since he is more popular. San Luis who?
To say that this
festival is colorful would be an understatement. Round every corner you would think
you have already seen a house that you would declare most colorful, until you turn at
another corner and see another house that is equally grandiose. And then
another. And then one more! Ach! They never end! These people are dead-serious.
Is there a cash prize?
In terms of design,
there simply is a wide variety. Giant flowers are in vogue, like sunflowers to
be specific. Some owners take the Bahay Kubo song literally. The residents
would probably be forcing themselves to become vegetarians for a month after
the celebration. It is all for the sake of fun. This is indeed one
of THE festivals to look out for every year.
A good tip would
be to see the houses while the devout Catholics are having mass. Let us not kid
each other. Not all of us are here for the Holy Eucharist. I was able to
complete the path after an hour and 120 pictures. I rested for ten minutes and
by 6:30 I was at it again, by then already taking videos. There were obviously
more people during the second round. When I reached the end of the path, the
band was ready and after five minutes, the parade began. Yes, I started where the
parade would end. It does not matter because you end up at the church either way.
The marching band
was followed by a group of sacristans. The sacristans were followed by old
people. The old people were followed by middle-aged people carrying a girl
saint that I do not recognize. Girl Saint was followed by more middle-aged
people flocked around the star of the day, San Isidro. San Luis is nowhere to be found.
Do not worry, San Luis. Remember, the church is yours. The queue is short and not as
chaotic as some religious festivals around Metro Manila.
I was out of the
town proper after buying two bunches of suman and staring at longganisang
Lucban. That was around quarter to eight. A total of 2 1/2 hours spent.
LUCBAN: 01 - Attack of the Colorful Houses
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