Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!
undefined
undefined

Calaba Town Fiesta

 

May is considered Philippine Fiesta Month.  "Fiesta" must have come from spanish origin.  Suburban and rural areas of the Philippines usually have fiestas to honor their town's patron saint.  The sideroads are covered with colorful buntings and you can eat everywhere.  The buntings also represents fiesta boundaries, meaning, if you see the end of the buntings, that signifies the town boundary.  In order to come up with funds for their fiestas, cars are held up by some rope, something like a check-point. But do not be afraid, they will just put a ribbon on your car signifying that you have paid their 'fiesta' toll.

Foods  usually served during fiestas are 'puto' or rice cakes, 'lechon' or roasted pig, 'leche flan', 'menudo', 'pinapaitan' or goat stew.  Beers flows everywhere.    Fiesta time is also famous for its 'Santacruzan' or some sort of parade wherein the town beautiful ladies represents some characters from the bible.

 

 

My partner and I went to a fiesta recently.  The place is called Calaba.  It's the first time we have seen such beautiful buntings, every barangay have a different one and it is some sort of a competition.  The buntings looks better at night when they get illuminated.  The parade floats were on top of the handtractors.  It was fun and we hope you'll experience a Philippine Fiesta too.

 

You know  the drill, click to enlarge!

Check out the colorful buntings

 

It's a bit shady under the buntings

The buntings look better at night because of the lights.

What can you expect?  Traffic!  Because most vehicles are double-parked.

The buntings here are different because it's a different barangay.  There's a bunting competition among barangays.

No Philippine Fiesta is complete without a parade.  The floats are being pulled by handtractors.

Handtractors are used by Filipino farmers for their ricefields.  

They can be dangerous at night time because they have no tail lights.

No, he's not Manny Pacquiao*.  

FYI, Manny Pacquiao is a Filipino who won the recent International Boxing Federation.

Some floats are satires like this one.

 'Trahedya sa Basura' or tragedy from the garbage problem like Payatas.

Town patron saints are honored.

Me with the small brass band.

Me with a majorette.

Beer drinking time!

L-R  Ollie, Robert, Rich, Al, Jun, Noel, Leleng and Ross.

 

The small milk bottle is for me.

 

Join Senior Friend Finder - largest Personals Site!