Quezon’s Sampaloc town stages 4th Bulihan Festival

MANILA, Philippines - It was truly another successful year as the fourth Bulihan Festival took center stage in Sampaloc, Quezon recently.

And one of the awaited activities was the “Bulihan Parada ng Bayan” held on Day 3 of the four-day festival.

Exciting, colorful, creative, uniquely Sampaloc — these were the words that best described the “Parada ng Bayan,” a buri-inspired costume parade participated in by the different sectors of the community.

Camaraderie was much felt as the whole town took time to participate and support the costume parade. It was amazing to see how young women and men were dressed in different creative and distinctively classy costumes made from colorful buri.

The Bulihan Festival is an impressive showcase of the main product and source of livelihood of the gentle people of Sampaloc, mainly made of buri, a large palm tree noted for its strong leaves that can be made into various products like bags and other native accessories.

Sampaloc Mayor Emmanuel Torres said, “The Bulihan Festival, now on its fourth year, is something I want to highlight in our municipality. Through this festival, we give jobs to our residents, and we are able to promote tourism.”

Discover Sampaloc and know more about its culture, people and sights. For tour packages, call Tina Poblete of the Sampaloc Municipal Planning and Development Office at (042) 555-8342 or (042) 716-0011 or e-mail at sampalocquezon@yahoo.com, xtiantina@gmail.com.ph or nabracia@yahoo.com.