Quezon

A ritual of faith

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.

Top 10 things to do this summer, part 2 of 2

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.

Love notes on the road, part 2 of 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.

Pahiyas, the day before

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.

Pahiyas decors, up close

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.

Pahiyas, Lucban’s harvest festival

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.

The hooded flagellants of Infanta, Quezon

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.