Lucban’s Pahiyas Festival

Lucban, a small town in Quezon Province, situated on the slopes of Mt. Banahaw, comes alive every May because of a festival popularly known as “Pahiyas.” The annual Pahiyas Festival, held every May 15, is one of the largest and most popular celebrations in the Philippines.

Pahiyas literally means  “enjewellment” when all windows and doors of homes and establishments are decorated with summers’ citrus fruits and vegetables such as papayas, squashes, cucumbers and corn, festooned among rainbow-colored sheets of kiping, delicate leaf impressions made of pounded, melted and dyed rice starch.

Life-size animals of paper mache dance past the courtyard of Lucban’s centuries-old church bowing to its moss-covered stone angel as they enter narrow streets. This ritual, founded by the Franciscans, celebrates the feast of San Isidro Labrador, the Catholic Saint declared patron of the farmer and the worker.

A delegation of foreign ambassadors and diplomatic spouses from Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia were treated to a friendly dose of Filipino hospitality by the Department of Tourism and the Department of Foreign Affairs during the eve of the Pahiyas Festival.

According to Secretary of Tourism Joseph “Ace” Durano, the diplomats participated in a familiarization tour that featured the Province of Quezon’s festivities and heritage sights.

 “We decided to showcase the quintessential geniality of Filipinos by revealing how Lucban prepares for its annual celebration of good harvest,” Durano explained. “We also wanted to feature the devotion our country gives to festivals that honor our religious institutions.”

The tour started with a visit to Villa Escudero, a self-sustained and functional plantation within the Municipality of Tiaong that dates back to the 1800s.

Villa Escudero’s general manager Conrado Escudero and the plantation’s administrative director Rosalie Escudero-Blume warmly welcomed the Secretary and the distinguished guests. They explored the plantation on carabao-drawn carts while being serenaded by folk singers.

The group was also entertained by a troupe of traditional Filipino dancers before proceeding to the Escudero Private Museum, which houses a diverse collection of religious artworks and relics that have existed since Spanish times.

Lunch was served at Kusina Salud, a nearby restaurant owned by renowned fashion designer Patis Tesoro. The establishment offers ethnic Filipino dishes within a hall decorated with esoteric masks and paintings that were collected from different parts of Asia.

Armando Abutal, Vice Mayor of Lucban, likewise greeted the diplomats upon their arrival in his municipality and enticed them to observe the townsfolk while they adorned their houses with ripe vegetables, local handicrafts and large, multi-colored flakes made from rice. He explained that on the eve of the Pahiyas, the local populace of Lucban decorate their homes with agricultural products as a symbol of gratitude for a bountiful harvest.

The visitors also watched a parade that re-enacted the town’s history. Children and adults dressed in bright, variegated costumes marched down the main avenue, followed by lavishly designed floats that depicted local folk tales.

Durano and the guests also shopped for original Filipino souvenirs at the bustling Lucban Fair. The market sold hats and wooden crafts as well as homemade delicacies such as longganisa, pansit habhab and fruit preserves.

Despite the rainy weather that accompanied the trip, Durano said that being in Lucban provided the visitors an insight into the distinct cultural melange and unique attractions which the Province of Quezon has in abundance.

“Our guests were delighted of the light showers that beset us,” Durano remarked. “I shared with them an old Filipino folk belief that rain is a gesture of acceptance by friendly spirits that watch over a township.”