Pahiyas Festival

Every May 15, the townsfolk of Lucban, Quezon, don

their houses with fruits, vegetables and colorful kiping (a leaf-shaped wafer made of rice and dyed with
food coloring) in celebration of the Pahiyas Festival. The word ‘pahiyas’ was derived from the word
‘payas’, which means decoration or to decorate.

The word “pahiyas” means “precious offering” as

connoted by the root word “hiyas” which means “jewel”. Since then, the people of Lucban and nearby
towns and provinces excitedly await the summer month of May when Pahiyas Festival is held

San Isidro Labrador

The reason behind such practice dates back to the 15th century, when farmers used to offer their
harvests at the foot of Mount Banahaw. Over time, they brought their farm produce at the church in
honor of the town’s patron saint – St. Isidore the Laborer, who is the patron saint of farmers, laborers
and peasants.

3 h 5 min (123.1 km) via S Luzon Expy/Pan-Philippine Hwy/R-3

What to expect
Since the Pahiyas Festival is considered one of the biggest fiestas in the country, the local government
always has a line-up of activities prepared.

Timpalak Pahiyas
During the day of the feast, all houses will be decorated with colorful fruits and vegetables from
top to bottom. The house with the best design will win a prize at the end of the celebrations.
The Grand Parade
No festival is complete without a ton of dancing, grand floats, and roaring marching bands.
Take part in this one-of-a-kind street party where even carabaos are dressed for the occasion.
The grand parade circles around town to call on for more blessings and abundant harvests.
Food
Quezon is rich with amazing local delicacies and street food that you can’t leave without trying:
Pilipit (breaded squash with sweet syrup), Pancit Habhab (fried miki noodles eaten without
utensils and served with vinegar), and Longganisang Lucban (garlic sausage). You can even try
the kiping (colorful leaf-shaped rice paste), which is popularly used as part of the Pahiyas
decorations but is 100% edible.
 ROMBLON
MARBLE COUNTRY OF THE PHILIPPINES

An archipelagic province of the Philippines located

in the Mimaropa region. Its main islands include Tablas, the largest, which covers nine municipalities,
Sibuyan with its three towns, as well as the smaller island municipalities of Corcuera, Banton,
Concepcion, San Jose, and Romblon, the provincial capital. The province lies south of Marinduque and
Quezon, east of Oriental Mindoro, north of Aklan and Capiz, and west of Masbate. According to the
2015 census, it has a total population of 292,781

The Binirayan festival is an event celebrated in the province of Antique in the Philippines. "Binirayan"
literally means "where they sailed to".

The Binirayan Festival commemorates the legend of the arrival of the ten Bornean datus on the island of
Aninipay now known as Panay. (See the legend of Maragtas.) As Governor Evelio B. Javier, the Father of
Binirayan Festival, reminded the Antiqueños during the earlier celebrations, "let us gather the strands
and memories of our past, as we look back with pride, that we may look ahead with confidence to
Antique tomorrow."

Binirayan Festival's permanent theme is "Retracing Roots, Celebrating Culture and Greatness.

FORT SAN ANDRES

The last surviving fortification from the period of the Spanish Occupation of Trinidad, which came to an
end in 1797 with the capture of the island by the British.

As early as 1733, a fortification called Fort San Andres was planned to replace a redoubt of fascines and
earth, which was the only defense to Port of Spain. This however was not completed until 1787. The
redoubt was located more or less where Royal Bank now stands. Port of Spain or as it was known to the
Spanish, Puerto de los Hispanioles, initially was restricted to a few streets east of the St. Ann's or
Tragarete River which at that time ran west along what is now Park Street and south to the foreshore
through what is now Woodford Square and Chacon Street

TABLAS ISLAND

Tablas is the largest of the islands that comprise the province of Romblon in the Philippines. The name
of the island was of Spanish origin. Before the colonization of the Philippines, Tablas was known as the
Island of Osigan.

FOOD

Balichow na Gamus

For those who are not familiar with Bagoong, it is a traditional condiment in the Philippines. Basically, it
is a salted and fermented fish or alamang (krill). In Romblon, the fermented krill is sauteed with coconut
milk.

Pulilan, Bulacan
The Garden Ciudad de Victoria
( lit. City of Victory or Victory City) is a 140-hectare tourism enterprise zone in the towns of Bocaue and
Santa Maria in Bulacan, Philippines. It is located north of Metro Manila along the North Luzon
Expressway.

BICOL
BACACAY, ALBAY
Bacacay, Albay, Philippines is located in the eastern slope of the famous Mt. Mayon with a total
area of 113.6 square kilometers or 11,360 hectares and comprising of 56 barangays. It is
primarily an agricultural community and abundant in seafood. The town is composed of islands,
shining seas, vast mainland possessed with evergreen and pollution-free surroundings and rich
in mineral resources.
Legend has it that the name of the town was derived from “BAGACAY” a bamboo specie. It was
said that the plant, “Bagacay” thrived luxuriantly in the place where Bacacay is right now. When
a group of Spanish conquistadores arrived to survey the land, the leader inquired the natives as
to what the name of the place is. The natives thought that they were asking about the plant, as
such they replied, “Bagacay”. Thus, the Spaniards started to call the area, “Bagacay” after
hearing the reply of the natives, and over time it became “Bacacay”.
The poblacion was once a small settlement of Negrito farmers and fishermen, clustered along
the coast of what is now only a small sitio in the Barrio of Pili that still retains the name,
Bacacay. The increasing number of inhabitants spread out inland in search for more land till
they reached the plains of San Pedro, which eventually became the first seat of Bacacay.
In Albay, tourists will find many remarkable places that were previously known only to locals
and are still untouched by commercialism. Many of these destinations have never been
featured in travel literature and awaits discovery. Partly due to its pristineness, the province
was declared as a Biosphere Reserve in UNESCO’s MAB Programme as it is the proud home of
approximately 462 flora and fauna species, 137 of which are endemic. People are also one of its
tourism assets. ALBAYANOS are resilient, gracious, happy and accommodating who go out of
their way to make visitors’ stay in the province comfortable, relaxed, and worry-free. Albay is
home to at least 19 festivals that are celebrated all year round by its different cities and
municipalities. In each month of the year, tourists will be sure to find revelers dancing in the
streets in celebration of a religious or agricultural festival. These festivals last for several days
and feature activities showcasing the local culture and practice.

KARAGUMOY FESTIVAL
One of the municipalities that give a breathtaking view of the volcano even from afar is Bacacay, Albay,
located in the eastern slope of the mountain. It boasts of a number of islands, crystal-clear seas, and
vast agricultural land. Aside from its abundant catch from the ocean, woven pandan is also one of the
main products in this coastal town. To celebrate the produce and honor their patron Sta. Rosa de Lima,
the town holds its annual Karagumoy Festival every August. Karagumoy is the local name for pandan.