If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
In October of 2006, I visited the remote islands of Cuyo and Culion in Palawan for a photography assignment and passed Negros and Iloilo in transit. This is my account of that journey.
This is the 1st of a series. For many years, I have set my eyes on the remote island of Cuyo, borne out of curiosity and fascination to this sprinkling of terra firma, located at the northern edge of the Sulu Sea basin between north Palawan in the east and Panay in the west. When the book project Philippine Church Facades by Pedro Galende, OSA, materialized, the fortress churches of Cuyo and Culion were included in the list to be photographed and so, I requested and got the assignment to travel to these places.
When I set to travel to this island, there were only two feasible trips that I can choose: either start from Puerto Princesa City in Palawan or Iloilo City for the twice weekly boat trip between these two provincial capitals. Either way, the two ships that ply the waters stop midway in Cuyo. As it was October, I wanted to witness the Masskara festivities in Negros Occidental’s capital, Bacolod City, and thus, opted for the latter. Seair’s Puerto Princesa - Cuyo flights were no longer running.
This post starts the series of what I will call The Cuyo Loop:
- Starts from Manila
- touched down in Iloilo on a Friday
- spent the weekend in Bacolod for the Masskara
- back in Iloilo, overnight
- head to Cuyo for a few days
- a side trip in Agutaya, another remote island
- head to Coron for a pump boat trip to Culion, overnight
- back in Coron for the flight back to Manila
Hope you will enjoy this series as much as I did.
A few more fans and ferns and all is done.
“Everyone in the household, relatives and friends come out to do and assist in the preparations for the big day.” I do admire the community spirit of the Lucbanins and this is best displayed in the run up to the Pahiyas festival. Everyone in the household as well as relatives and friends come out and do the preparations as well as assist others. During this time, what remains is just the mounting of the decor and doing finishing touches.
The kiping on the other hand has been prepared weeks ahead. They just have to ensure that these are constantly dry as these become soft once the weather goes wet. In past festivals, rain sometimes marred the rather festive mood, dampening and wilting the kipings.
More photos inside »
Jackfruit, tomato, pepper… and Mr. Squash.
“The Pahiyas decorations are really stunning and the variety seems to be infinite!” What a riot of colors, an assemblage of all sorts of produce and exuberant display of creativity! The Pahiyas decorations are really stunning and the variety seems to be infinite that as one passes through the different houses and stalls, one is just struck with awe, amused and entertained.
Where else can one find a colorful mosaic comprised of different kinds and types of beans? Or lowly ginger can take the form of a butterfly’s wings? Or even pieces of green pepper can be strung into a necklace? What about unhusked rice as dolls? Or string beans into a curtain and tomatoes into an endless wave?
Below are just a few samples of these beautiful decorations.
More photos inside »
A visitor taking in one of the festival photo op.
“The kiping, thin, delicate and edible rice crackers is the festival’s identifying decor.”15th of May and the best place to be is nowhere else but in Lucban, a town in northwest Quezon bordering Laguna where the annual harvest festival, Pahiyas, is in full swing. Multicolored kiping, thin, delicate and edible rice crackers, in the shape of a leaf decorates windows, doors and just anything else on the house’s exterior is its most identifying decor. Not only that, fruits and vegetables, some, arranged in anthropomorphic forms covers every inch of space while life sized papier mache and grass farmers and carabaos in a tableau can be found at the house’s front.
Multicolored kiping decorating one of the houses.
More photos inside »
Tiwi’s famous halo-halo topped with grated cheese.
“Go to any place in the country and one is sure to find cheap streetside halo-halo.”It’s summer and the weather’s just too hot and humid. What better way than to cool the heat off with halo-halo? Go to any place within the country and one is sure to find streetside halo-halo in various forms with various ingredients. And these are very cheap compared with those found in malls and restaurants. Prices can range between P10 to just as high as P40 ($0.20 - $1) and one can already have a filling and enjoyable fare.
Tiwi in Albay is famous for its unique take on this native fare. Other than the usual ingredients of candied and sweetened fruits and preserves and an almost liquid leche flan, it is topped with grated cheese. Just imagine the opposing taste of sweet/salty and you have a one-of-a-kind halo-halo. When in town, just ask for directions to the street where a series of shops selling this fare can be found. It is just near the church.
More photos inside »
Page 3 of 15«12345»...Last »
