While waiting for the Santo Señor Sepulcro’s bier to arrive back at the church in Lucban, I was invited to have cooling halo-halo. What I didn’t expect was the unusual ingredient that they mix it with.

The latest issue of Langyaw, the photo e-magazine is now out and, like the previous releases, it is FREE to download!

Domingo de Ramos or Palm Sunday, is one of the significant days of the Semana Santa that marks the start of the Holy Week. It is a reenactment of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem when he was received by the people, waving palms while he was riding a donkey. And I witnessed this in Lucban, Quezon.

I went back to Infanta, Quezon last April to do my major photo story as a requirement of my diploma course. This time, I spent several days documenting the preparation and actual activity that culminated on Good Friday.

It’s already March and one thing is for sure: SUMMER IS HERE! It surely is a hot time and other than indulging oneself with cold halo halo or hitting the malls for the nth time, what better way to make these awaited vacation months worthwhile than a list of top 10 things to do during this time of the year.

This is Part 2.

I am tracing a good five years of travel with my amour around the country and in this two part series, I am featuring ten of those sojourns. This is Part 2 which covers Davao City, Romblon, Lucban, Sagada and Ilocos.

“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 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.

“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.

Infanta is balmy and refreshing with its long coastline and beautiful blue beaches that the long and drawing ride from Makati to Siniloan via Sta. Cruz on public transport, taking almost 6 hours to negotiate is easily forgotten. The familiar smell of the sea and its salty breeze hits you instantly as the jeepney I took wound down to the coast.

The heightened religious fervor, the devotion and the age old practices just come together and intertwine to produce one of the spectacular Semana Santa (Holy Week) observance that I have seen. Lucban in Quezon is one of the must go to places to witness such events.
The hazy yellow green sea of palms sway in all directions blanketing the plaza at the church grounds as the faithful is gathered while a priest blesses.

Lucban in Quezon is rich in tradition, culture and heritage be it from the annual harvest festival called the Pahiyas, its potent lambanog (coconut vodka), lively people, religious fervor and cool climate being located at the foothills of Mt. Banahaw. During the Holy Week, the town is transformed into one great catholic community where age old ritual observance springs to life.

On the morning of Saturday before Palm Sunday,