May 14-16, 2008: The middle of May brings Pahiyas Festival (celebrated on May 15th) to Lucban... The celebration is a form of thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest and in honor of the patron saint of farmers, San Isidro de Labrador. Similar to the Chataqua Days celebrations in the Midwest... My good friend, Neil Sese, invited me to join he and his mother as they went back to their province to celebrate this festival...
On Wednesday night, we arrived at Kamay ni Jesus (Hands of Jesus) a Catholic retreat where we were guests of Father Angelo for the weekend....
At the church’s backdrop is a steep hill transformed into a picturesque Grotto of Healing and Purification, all of 292 steps.
This includes life-size statues of the 14 Stations of the Cross and leads to a 50-foot statue of the Ascending Christ —the third biggest in the world that can be seen miles away.
Father Angelo treated us to a meal of fish, rice and soup.... Neil and I went out to meet his friends that night and by the time we returned to go to bed, we found the 15 foot tall gates to the retreat locked.... Well, we had to perform a little B&E to get into our building that night (we never did find out where the guards were)....
The next morning (the day of the Festival) it was raining and did rain all day and all night....
We took a ride into town on a tricycle (my first experience with this means of transportation) and explored the Festival....
One of the few dry moments.... I enjoy it with a cigar....
Neil and his friend Eric....
The traditional Pahiyas adornments consist of colorful rice wafers (kiping in the dialect) shaped into flowers, petals and lanterns.
Neil doing his fan thing....
A little fan wants a picture.....
As Neil is a local celebrity, we were constantly being invited to share some food, or drink, or hospitality...
We went into one of his high school classmates home and were treated to a complete Filipino Festival Feast.... Many of the traditional foods were enjoyed...
A particular type of pancit (a noodle dish) is here: Pancit Lucban or Habhab Lucban (a meat-seafood-vegetable noodle dish served on banana leaves and eaten without spoon nor fork...)... It is the best pancit in all of the Philippines (according to everyone in Lucban..)..
Lucban is also famous for its Lucban Longganisa (Sausage Lucban style) - found all over Lucban, garlicky in taste and reddish in color... I had to try everything.... It was all very good....
The Festival also has a parade... As it was pouring, many of the parade participants were very wet....
The wet Pahiyas Festival continued.....
We returned to Kamay ni Jesus very late, very wet, very full and very inebriated. I promptly pleaded “old man disease” and went to bed.... I think Neil and the priests stayed up and finished the wine... Hahaha....
Friday we had a wonderful lunch hosted by Father Angelo in one of the Grottos on the property...
We headed to Lucena and met with Neil's aunts. Neil had a presentation at one of the local schools and after that we had dinner at a gorgeous venue located on docks out in the ocean. Excellent seafood, great company and a beautiful setting.
Neil's mom and her two sisters...
After a 5 hour commute, we were back in Ortigas.
