Roxas marks 55th founding year with Panalaminan

We are world famous for our hospitality. This hospitable nature extends to friends, relatives, friend of a friend or relative of a relative. We always project a happy disposition even when we are with strangers or people we meet for the first time. Though we were told never to talk to strangers when we were kids, how many of us have been duped by sweet-talking strangers? But even this does not dampen our hospitable nature. We also put our best foot forward when we have visitors. Remember how former First Lady Imelda Marcos would spruce up the entire stretch of Roxas Blvd. with bougainvillas, and even tropical flowers and leaves you can find in Dangwa (in Dimasalang) because of a visiting foreign dignitary? Instant immaculate white fences would be erected to cover the squatters along the sidewalks.

We are also known for our fiestas. Every barangay in this country has a patron saint who is venerated and celebrated. In my hometown, fiestas are plentiful especially during summer. We prepare for fiestas. I remember a neighbor who would have his house renovated in preparation for the fiesta. He would buy a piglet, care for it devotedly and when fiesta time comes, he’d roast it into a mouth-watering lechon.

We would buy new clothes. We would clean and decorate our homes and visitors are welcome. Whether we live in squalid shanties or mansions, fiestas go on. And some don’t mind if they are bankrupt for as long as "masaya ang fiesta."

I used to go to the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban Quezon. It is celebrated in honor of San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of farmers. Pahiyas is a thanksgiving for good harvest. During Pahiyas, houses are beautifully adorned with rice kiping (a multi-colored thin rice tortilla), vegetables and other crops. Local and foreign tourists flock to Lucban to be part of the celebration.

In Bulacan, Obando fertility ritual is famous. Childless couples dance on the streets in their desire to have an offspring. Even celebrities go to the Obando procession. Movies about this ritual have been done.

I have been to the Ati-Atihan in Aklan, Dinagyang, in Iloilo, Masskara Festival in Bacolod, Sinulog in Cebu, Panagbenga in Baguio, Kadayawan in Davao, Pintados in Leyte. They are all happy occasions – people smile everywhere and you will find food in every corner. There is whole day dancing. But several years ago, the whole nation felt distressed when happy faces turned sad and gloomy when a fluvial parade in Bocaue, Bulacan turned into a disaster. Several lives were lost. At the Black Nazerene festivities in Quiapo, accidents have also happened causing the death of some.

But there are still many festivals I have not attended like the Turumba in Pakil, Laguna, Kaogma in Bicol, Parada ng Lechon in Batangas, Lanzones Festival in Guimaras. Moriones in Marinduque, Carabao Festival in Pulilan, among others.

In Roxas, located at the northern part of Palawan, a celebration is forthcoming. Roxas is a first class municipality with a population of only 47,242 people in some ten thousand households. Roxas is known as a silica zone (silica is a crystalline compound occurring abundantly as quartz, sand and is used to manufacture a variety of materials specially glass and concrete). The story goes that, after the World War II, high grade silica was discovered in Roxas. Mining for silica continued until the ’70s where it provided employment for the townsfolk. Today, mining operations have been stopped because of its negative effect to the environment.

In celebration of the 55th founding anniversary of Roxas, Panalaminan Festival will be held on May 8 until May 15. Panalaminan means to mirror the past, present and future culture, practices and traditions of the municipality. One of these traditional practices is the Panulo sa Banua, an old way of catching fish, or crabs using torch or gasera. At the Panalaminan festivities, 31 barangays will compete in the Panulo sa Banua. Other events in store are an agri and trade fair, food fest, sports festival, fun/run marathon, sand sculpting competition, motocross, dance and singing competitions. There will also be a grand parade and fireworks display. Francis Magalona together with the Hardware Syndrome, Parokya ni Edgar, Brownman Revival and Session Road, headline the concert Jamming Sa Roxas on May 13 at the Roxas Municipal Plaza. The concert is mounted by my good friend, Gigi Javier’s After 5 Productions.

Sail On...

His Most
Holy Face

Dr. Bob N. Aquino, through his own media company produced an album dedicated to the Holy Face of Jesus entitled Sail On...His Most Holy Face. The Holy Face is an imprint of the face of Jesus taken from the Holy Shroud of Turin. Inspired by his devotion to the Holy Face, Dr. Bob felt the need to spread the devotion of the Most Holy Face to whatever it takes, thus the album. "The album would not have been possible without God’s amazing grace," Dr. Bob said. Sail On...His Most Holy Face boasts of a new mix of modern, upbeat and traditional songs centered on the youth.

According to Dr. Bob, a roster of big stars have agreed to take part in the album like Jose Mari Chan, Hajji Alejandro, Robert Seña, Isay Alvarez, Paolo Santos, Cris Villonco, Ariel Rivera, Isabel Granada and the Madrigal Singers. Doc Bob composed Your Miracle of Love which was sung by the Madrigal Singers. Cocoy Laurel and Jolina Magdangal also lent their talents. Jolina’s dad is a devotee of the Holy Face of Jesus. Cocoy contributed and recorded his own composition Blessings of the Holy Face. Verni Varga did Tanging Ikaw lamang. Denise Laurel, Juaquin Garcia, also lent their voices.

The album will be launched by way of a concert dubbed Sail On….His Most Holy Face on May 13 at the Philam Life Theater. Tickets are priced at P500, P700 and P1,000 (with free CD). For inquiries, call Ariel del Mundo 526-9250, Maan Tolentino, Arnel Villamor of Tolovil Marketing 890-8713 or ask Angie and Dr. Bob at 09196036498. Proceeds from the album will be used for the reproduction of a 30" x 40" Holy Face of Jesus portraits for distribution in various schools and Catholic churches in the country.