Fiestas
have huge influence in every Filipino culture. Districts, barangays, cities and
provinces in the Philippines celebrate fiestas to reminisce the past, to keep
the Filipino spirits alive and to honor different gods. Sometimes, they
believed in it as it control certain aspects of life—family, health, wealth,
livelihood and others, especially in Batanes.
Annually,
you won’t be missing the “celebratory vibe” because fiestas of all kinds are
marked all-year round in the Filipino calendars. Some are also declared as
official holidays especially if these festivals have something to do with
patron saints, products or activities that a certain place is known for. This
practice engraves the Filipino culture and will stay for more years to come.
Let us
take for example, Batanes. It is the northernmost province in the Philippines
and also the smallest, both in population and land area. Though it is a minor
island, they never fail to celebrate different fiestas to pay it forward and
thank their gods for an abundant harvest. In addition, Festivities in Batanes
also help promote tourism to showcase the unique heritage of the Ivatans.
Your tour
in Batanes would definitely be not complete if you’ll not witness their
different fiestas. Here’s a guide on what to expect when you visit there to
spend your vacation.
Kulay Festival
If you
happen to book around the 2nd week of April with the help of your travel agent,
you are very lucky to witness the “Kulay Festival” which means, “anything
dried” this festival highlights the simple yet colorful food heritage of the
Ivatans.
They
celebrated it in cooperation with the local government of Basco, Batanes and
the Philippine’s Department of Trade and Industry. The main objective of this
5-day feast is to introduce locally manufactured and processed food products
like dried products such as onion, garlic, rice, corn and fish among others to
local and foreign tourists visiting their province.
Bayanihan or Payuhuan Festival
In the
Ivatan laguage, “payuhan” stands for cooperation which is truly evident in this
5-day event every June. In this event, a province-wide procession is done to
recall the route of evangelization. Communities and schools conduct the Ivatan
Olympics to pay tribute to their native game. Another highlight of this fiesta
is the Kanan Nu Kumavahayan or the Unity Lunch, a government funded celebration
for everyone.
Palu-palo Festival
Celebrated
every 1st week of August, it is one of the must-see feasts in the Philippines.
This is the time wherein people get to have a glimpse of the rich lands of
Batanes, have a taste of their cuisine and discover more about their history.
This is a yearly festival of the Ivatans in Basco, Batanes centers on
livelihood and culture. Coming from the name itself, “palu-palo” it is a stick
used by Ivatans in the past to combat their colonizers.
At the end
of the day, Philippine fiestas are not only beneficial to the locals. These
important events have proven to invite “balik-bayans” and foreign tourist to
celebrate with the Filipinos. With the rich culture and heritage of the Ivatans
showcased during these fiestas, it just goes to show that Batanes has more to
offer than its picturesque sceneries.
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