The Sariaya Tourism Council (STC), in cooperation with the Sariaya Local Government Unit and the Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Church spearheaded the preparations for the Agawan Festival, the tradition of thanksgiving to the Spanish patron saint of farmers, San Isidro Labrador, for a bountiful harvest.

 
It started with a series of meetings by the Officers and members of the Board of Directors of the Sariaya Tourism Council to come up with a series of activities designed to best usher in this year’s celebrations from May 13-15, 2009.  In order to help promote the festival to the whole Southern Tagalog Region (CALABARZON – MIMAROPA), STC Board of Directors member Dyun Abanador and STC Secretary Eric Dedace woke up early on the morning of May 10th and drove to the DWTI Radio Compound at Barangay  Silangang Mayao, Lucena City to be interviewed by Mr. Irvin Alcala, a son of Second District of Quezon Congressman Procy Alcala, who is also the gracious, pleasant and very accommodating host of “The Rotary Hour”,  airing every Saturday from 6:30 to 7:30 AM. They elaborated on the three-day celebrations to give the listeners a comprehensive run down of all the activities of the festival. Aside from giving a short backdrop such as  tracing the route of the San Isidro Labrador procession reputed to be the longest ever, they likewise talked about the peculiar characteristics of the Sariayahin May time tradition of thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest,  for the benefit of the listeners.

Various committees were created and assigned for each member of the STC Board, as well as to various individuals like Mr. Federico Ceribo and Mrs. Jeanette Abano-Garcia who had been actively assisting the STC for years, to facilitate the organized flow and conduct of the said activities, and a timetable of schedules was set for convenience. Thereafter, a meeting with various organizations, schools, business establishments and others belongs to the different sectors of Sariayahin society to discuss possible activities for the three-day celebration was held at the Sangguniang Bayan Hall to bring about a town-wide effort and involvement.

 

Among the activities discussed with them were the Agawan Trade Fair wherein various farm produce and novelty products found in Sariaya were to be prominently exhibited with big tents serving as their shelter from the sun and the uncharacteristic rains that have been falling in the area since late March and April this year. This was to be facilitated with the help of the Municipal Agriculture Office, the Sariaya Farmers Federation (SAFAFED), Municipal Local Government Operations Office represented by Mrs. Myrna Rocafort, herself a member of the STC Board of Directors. STC Treasurer Tek Baligod, STC BOD Susan Caballes and STC Secretary Eric J. Dedace were assigned to work alongside her for the activity. Meanwhile, the Agawan Amazing Race involving Sariaya Tourism Officer-Designate Arlene Palabrica and STC BOD JR de Gracia, is a local version of the internationally popular Reality TV show set in the whole length of the Agawan Festival procession route. A pair of contestants composed of a male and female representing teams from the various barangays of Sariaya, will try to outrace one another in performing day-to-day tasks in the life of rural folks such as husking, cutting and grating of coconuts and extracting the milk or “Gata” prior to cooking and the like. Such can only be performed by the team right after they were able to answer questions about local Sariayahin heritage.

 

The “Parada Ng Lahi At Yaman Ng Sariaya” described the early morning parade conceptualized to comprehensively feature local Sariayahin heritage at its most colorful. Some barangays and a few organizations would feature choice high quality farm produce along the whole length of the Agawan Festival procession route. This undertaking was jointly assigned to Susan Caballes, STC Vice President Benjie Lozano and Sariaya PNP OIC Police Superintendent Danilo Morzo. The “Pistahan Sa Sariaya: Sayawit” would be the culminating activity of the parade wherein all the participants would be treated to a community merienda of “Pansit Habhab”while listening to a presentation of the traditional “Paawitan”, by the members of the Sariaya Senior Citizens’ Federation. Another come on activity affiliated with the festivities would be the “Pinaka Contest” assigned to Tek Baligod wherein ten outstanding agricultural produce in terms of size are included in the list, each with a corresponding prize at stake.  They are as follows :

Langka, Kalabasa, Upo, Niyog, Papaya, Repolyo, Kamote, Balinghoy, Buwig ng Saging  (saba, lakatan, latundan) and Buwig ng Niyog. The owner/grower can even sell their products in the afternoon before the procession starts.

 

In as much as nowadays, the procession route of San Isidro Labrador does not include the main street of the town to avoid monstrous traffic jams, the STC and r the Sariaya LGU have devised plans to still highlight the festival to the passing commuters. Such was by way of having the whole length of it from Muntingbayan to the area of Sunrise Bakery going to Barangay Balubal, divided among the town’s 6 Poblacion and 37 rural barangays to decorate. Accordingly, the STC would shoulder the cost of buying the “bagakays”, cut young bamboo trees put up along the procession route, that provide a gently swaying beautiful and bountiful canopy, just as the rural barangays would pitch in P3, 000 each and the Poblacion  barangays P5,000 each from their respective budgets to buy the goodies to be decorated into them. Barangay Poblacion 5 Captain Luis Antonio Enriquez was given the responsibility of coordinating the whole decoration scheme along the main street so described. These activities to be undertaken actively by the town’s barangays, along with the other activities as the “Gabi Ng Kultura”, “Arya Putukan”, “Pagpili At Pagpapahayag Ng Mga Nanalong Pinahiyasang Bahay”, “Misa At Prusisyon Sa Karangalan Ni San Isidro” and the “1st Mayor Boyet V. Masilang Skateboard Competiton” (Arya Rakrakan!), were likewisde presented to a meeting of the Association of Barangays Captains by Mrs. Myrna Rocafort, Tek C. Baligod, Benjie Lozano and Eric J. Dedace. The details and nuances of the activities were discussed by the STC among themselves in a series of meetings either at the Sangguniang Bayan Annex Hall or at the MGAD Office, in an enclosed corner of the office of Municipal Mayor Rosauro V. Masilang.

 

Mr. “Fidi” Ceribo, presently then on vacation from his teaching job at the  Southern Luzon State University in Lucban, was given the responsibility for coordinating the numbers in the “Gabi Ng Kultura” with the various schools like the Dep Ed Sariaya East, Dep Ed Sariaya West and the Colegio de Santo Cristo de Burgos, as well as the Sariaya Women’s Federation and the youth organizations such as the Samahang Kabataan under SK Melody Magnaye, the Pag-Asa Youth Association under Michael Vergara and the Youth Leadership  Summit (Youth For peace)  under Jean Sulit. Letters were drafted by Eric Dedace to the concerned parties involved in all the Agawan Festival undertakings, just as other important related matters with the necessary budgetary requirements like  food for the participants, the sound system, peace and order, traffic, physical arrangement, promotions, documentation and the like were also  discussed, with point persons like Arlene Palabrica, Susan Caballes, Benjie Lozano, Mrs. Myrna Rocafort, Tek Baligod, Eric Dedace, Dyun Abanador, JR de Gracia, Ricardo Sumague, Bernie Cadorna and Jun Jun Amores of the Municipal Agriculture Office, among others, assigned to accomplish them, under the overall supervision of STC President Rowena Z. Masilang.

 

Aside from working it out with Municipal Accountant Clarinda Cerillo for the release of the budget for the whole festival, Arlene Palabrica did the invitations, the Identification cards of the volunteers and the program of activities, as well as the registration forms necessary for the entries of the Agawan Amazing Race together with the monitoring of the participants for the “Parada Ng Lahi At Yaman Ng Sariaya”, with the help of some BS Tourism students engaged in their summer on the job training exposure at the Mayor’s office. Susan Caballes informed the body about the coverage of the Agawan Festival by the ABS-CBN TV Magazine who would be arriving from Marinduque on the night of May 12th to be given food and accommodation at the Ada’s Garden and Spa. Likewise, she told that if ever, among the judges of the house decoration contest would be Panorama Magazine’s Mr. Randy Orlanda, with Ms. Cynthia Lazo and Ms. Aya Halili, aside from two others coming from the UP Sariaya Community Empowerment Research Team. STC BOD member Ms. Criselda Obnial on the other hand told of the arrival of delegates from Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino provinces on the night of May 14th to watch the “Gabi Ng Kultura” as guests of the town, in which case, they will be treated to a hearty dinner to be catered by Anna J’s Catering Services at the Plaza de Shalom Restaurant. Meanwhile, coordination was made for the prospective seller-exhibitors at the Agawan Trade Fair, among which are the “Alamid Coffee” care of Mr. Gary Deduyo, the Sariaya Women’s Federation, Mortilla’s Bakery and Mady’s Ornamental Plants. Other booths accommodated Emma’s Handicrafts from Tayabas, Oleia Cetylated Oil Emmolient that offered free massage, and Mr. Donut. The tents, some of which were borrowed from the Office of Quezon Second District Congressman Proceso Alcala were put up on May 12th at the center of the park while work on the decoration of the main street started, with Barangay Poblacion 5 Captain Tony “White” Enriquez utilizing the vacant Gala family lot along Calle Rizal corner Gomez and Quezon Avenue as the drop off area for all the necessary materials. He likewise caused the putting up of another tent on one corner of the area as working place for all the volunteers involved in the undertaking. Mr. Rico Gicana of the Municipal Solid Waste Management Office had the responsibility of transporting all of the said materials from different sources. With all of these happening, the various schools, the Sariaya Women’s Federation and the three youth groups involved in the “Gabi Ng Kultura” were holding their respective own rehearsals, with over-all coordinator and director Sir “Fidi” Ceribo regularly monitoring their progress, and he set the general rehearsals at the Sariaya Sports Complex for 2 PM of the following day.

 

On the morning of May 13th, the Agawan Trade Fair exhibitors arrived at the park, occupying their respective areas and among the novelty features  that caught  the attention of the people were the “Langgonisang Sariaya” of the Sariaya Women’s Federation and the procedural step by step manner adapted by Gary Deduyo, as suggested by Tek Baligod, in the arrangement of their Alamid Coffee exhibit, complete with a live “Alamid” or Civet, a pointed nosed, black-colored and fruit-eating distant relation of the house cat, and a free drink of their high-prized beverage costing P400 per hundred gram bottle on the first day only. Tek Baligod and Benjie Lozano were already there as early as past seven in the morning to supervise their respective undertakings. Dyun Abanador did the coordination for the rented sound system that will be coming over from Manila early in the morning of May 14th, and with the help of his nephew Ryan Racoma, collaborated on the video presentation about the Agawan Festival to be used during the cultural presentation. Electrician Catalino Calatrava and his assistants proceeded with installing the electrical connections at the exhibits area which would be essential to the proceedings to be conducted there for the three-day celebration. STC BOD member Susan Caballes requested the “Bantay Ng Bayan” to wrap the native woven hats to be decorated on the “bagakays” along the main street with plastic as protection from the rains, which were later hanged in an enclosed portion within the exhibits area.  Meanwhile, the hosts and production crew of the ABS CBN TV Magazine based in Baguio City arrived and Ms. Caballes requested Eric Dedace to talk to the Production Assistant Mr. Jason Evangelista and show them around to facilitate their video coverage. He accompanied them in their van together with local ABS-CBN Lucena personnel Ms. Mella Vendiola, aiming to go around the route of the Agawan Festival procession and they stopped to cover the decorations being put up at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Macaraan along Burgos Street in Munting Bayan.

 

Among the things they documented was the suman-making, where the beautiful TV host “Ara” even tried her hand in the tricky business of wrapping the suman using fresh palm leaves. The sunny morning suddenly gave way to a strong rain yet the young production crew’s enthusiasm was boosted further by an invitation to lunch by their gracious Sariayahin hosts that consisted of “Nilagang Baka”, “Hardinera”, “Daing Na Bangus”, Potato Salad, Rice and coke, together with fresh mangoes harvested from their very own farm serving as welcome giveaways. They promised to return to the house on May 15th to cover the full decoration scheme, complete with a “Lechon” display said the very friendly and accommodating Mr. Macaraan. Then they went back to the plaza to interview Gary Deduyo about the whole gamut of the “Alamid Coffee” production, from the gathering of the coffee-encrusted Civet droppings,  washing them with water and peeling off the outer covering when they dry, to their roasting in a big pan on a traditional stove or “kalan” which was done by one of the personable male TV hosts. The next step which is the grinding process was not featured since they were not able to bring their own grinder. Thereafter, they went to the church museum where Rev. Fr. Andrew Oribiana was interviewed by another female TV host on the life and times of San Isidro Labrador, with the permission of parish priest Msgr. Noe Loredo.

 

Continuing on, they chanced upon Mr. Romeo Alcala of Calle Bonifacio corner de la Cruz, erstwhile Chemistry teacher – adviser of the Quezon Provincial High School, busy putting up the intricate, coconut-based decorations, so they went up to his house. “Kiko”, one of the male hosts interviewed him about the nuances of their family’s Agawan Festival preparations and when asked as to the cost of it all, he answered . . . . . “Oh, forget about the budget! We join not so much for the prize money but for the sheer joy of being part of the Fiesta celebrations in the tradition of giving thanks to San Isidro Labrador!” As the feature concentrated on the preparations downstairs, Eric Dedace had to return to the Plaza to be with the other members of the STC for the facilitation of the other activities there, notably the ongoing general rehearsals for the “Gabi Ng Kultura”. It started at two in the afternoon, with Sir Fidi at the helm, just as STC President Mrs. Wena Masilang and Tek baligod were there to lend support. A hearty snack of chicken sandwich and bottled mineral water was provided for the cultural program participants. Outside on the exhibit area, “bagakays” decorated with rectangular-shaped, hand-woven fans in various colors crafted by the Sariaya Women’s Federation were put up that added a very festive atmosphere to the area. Eventually, the rehearsals dragged on until almost nine in the evening, just as Mrs. Masilang, Tek Baligod, Eric Dedace, Dyun Abanador, Benjie Lozano and Ricardo Sumague were intently obsderving the proceedings. Earlier, Dyun Abanador and Arlene Palabrica separately informed Eric Dedace through texting that the sound system from Manila would be arriving between 4 and 5 o’clock the following morning, thus he informed Sariaya Sports Complex caretaker Willy Oblefias that he should open its gates at the appointed time. JR de Gracia on the other hand was so busy with doing all the necessary coordination work for the following morning’s Agawan Amazing Race, monitoring the number of participants that enlisted at the Municipio while procuring all the materials for its ten stations along the whole length of the procession route. He is likewise in the cultural program committee, facilitating the numbers to be contributed by the Colegio de Santo Cristo de Burgos where he teaches, as well as the sequences for the recently concluded “Figuras 2009 Ginoo at Binibining Sariaya” candidates and winners.

 

The morning of May 14th was a very busy day for everyone, and Willy Oblefias opened the gates of the Sariaya Sports Complex very early as agreed upon for the sound system to be installed and tested by its crew. Meanwhile, the cooks and other volunteers who would be preparing the kilos upon kilos of “Pansit Habhab” serving as morning merienda for the participants joining the “Parada Ng Lahi” on May 15th were rendered very busy boiling the meat, peeling and cutting the vegetables and readying their portion of the park for the big cook out . Indeed, the park was one big bee hive for all the activities connected with the celebrations. The “Agawan Amazing Race” was one of the highlight activities of the day, wherein the cash prizes of five, three and two thousand pesos were at stake. Unfortunately, only seven teams showed up out of the 43 teams expected to join the undertaking, but everything proceeded smoothly so the event finished much earlier. After that, Sir Fidi and JR de Gracia did additional embellishments on the stage which was earlier used for the “Figuras 2009”contest on May 9th, with aesthetic results. In the afternoon, Eric Dedace borrowed the image of the San Isidro Labrador permanently displayed at the parish museum from Msgr. Noe Loredo, and brought it to the Sariaya Sports Complex with Sir Fidi and STC hired hand Arnel Dimayuga. They then fitted it with two long bamboo poles underneath, cut by Arnel with the help of an iron saw borrowed from construction workers busy at the ongoing work to renovate the town park. Then Complex caretaker Willy Oblefias helped attach them with nails and wires to secure the image for the “Dalit Kay San Isidro” portion of the forthcoming “Gabi Ng Kultura” that night. Last minute rehearsals were conducted, particularly on the dance sequences to be performed by the youth groups, with snacks and drinks provided for the purpose. From time to time, busy Susan Caballes would come to the Complex to practice the Cha-Cha ballroom dance sequences which she would do with Sir Fidi as the finale number of the “Gabi ng Kultura”, much to the enjoyment of the people watching there. “Mayora Wena” then facilitated the renting of one hundred sixty plastic chairs from caterers Fely Ebron and Larry Baylen, for the guests from Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino provinces, as well as the UP Sariaya Community Empowerment Research Team and their UP Asian Institute of Tourism visitor-tourists out to avail of the home stay program in town, not to mention the members of the STC and the audience. Just as the townspeople were so busy doing their respective house decorations along the procession route, Barangay Captain Enriquez and his team were doing the rounds of the whole Calle General Luna, the town’s main street to oversee the putting up of bamboo fences and the ”bagakays” in the area. The truck used for hauling the materials for the purpose was kept busy shuttling back and forth from the empty Gala Family lot at Calle Rizal to the main street.  Tek Baligod was rendered busy sprucing up the Sariaya Tourism Council booth adjacent to the handicrafts seller-exhibitor which would serve as the command post, as well as the reception area for guests arriving for the festival, just as their beautiful and colorful tarpaulins given by the UP Research team for the March 2008 Sariaya Seminar-Cultural Tour were prominently displayed at strategic locations in the area. Meanwhile, the short-sleeved black “Agawan Festival” T-shirts were distributed to the STC members as well as to the numerous volunteers to be worn for the day of the festival.

 

The cultural presentation did not start on time since the guests from Nueva Vizcaya and Qurino provinces got stuck in traffic from Lucena and upon arrival, they were brought to the Plaza de Shalom through the coordination of STC BOD member Ms. Criselda Obnial for a dinner of “Kulinarya Sariaya” or native Sariayahin fare, after which, they all trooped to the Sariaya Sports Complex which was by then already brimming with people. Meanwhile, the guests from the UP Sariaya Community Empowerment Research Team and the tourists from the UP Asian Institute of Tourism were already seated comfortably in the seats allotted to them. They were greeted by the members of the STC and Dean Corazon Rodriguez spent a few moments exchanging pleasantries with Mrs. Masilang, Tek Baligod and the others, including erstwhile STC BOD member Emma Onate who came for the show despite health problems. All throughout the waiting period, STC BOD Member Ronnie Lindog operated the LCD Projector showing the various endeavors of Mayor Rosauro V. Masilang like the Mangrove Forest Project at Barangay Bignay II that involved the planting of Mangrove seedlings and the releasing of turtle hatchlings in a nearby river, among others.  To facilitate a continuous flow of the program, the “Arya Putukan” was commenced after the emcee, JR de Gracia, requested everyone inside the Complex to go out to the center of the park and witness the spectacular fireworks display from the top of the Municipio, that lit the night sky to the clapping of the cheering audience. The ”Gabi Ng Kultura” started with everyone standing over a traditional “Dalit Para Kay San Isidro” wherein the saint’s image borrowed from the “Museo Ng Debosyon At Buhay” Parochial Museum, put up through the efforts of the STC and the St. Francis of Assisi Parish under the supervision of erstwhile Sariaya Parish Priest Msgr. Melecio Verastigue , was carried by four young men in a mini procession below the stage that served as its extension, to the traditional singing of the “Dalit” onstage by the residents of Barangay Concepcion Palasan, appropriately garbed in farmer costumes. Barangay Concepcion Palasan is one of the few Sariayahin localities where the peculiar “Dalit Para Kay San Isidro”  tradition is still being observed, which was documented by Dr. Verne de la Pena of the UP College of Music for the still ongoing pioneer inter disciplinary studies since December 2006. It was followed by a ballet-inspired doxology number accompanied by “The Prayer” on CD by the “Sariaya Women’s Federation”, followed by their visually-attractive rendition of the “Lupang Hinirang”, wherein the women were dressed in costumes that required them to stand in formation resembling the Philippine flag, with one of them representing the sun climbing an iron scaffolding to aesthetic effect. STC President Mrs. Wena Masilang then welcomed everyone to the cultural show, acknowledging the presence of the guests in the audience, and telling that her husband Mayor Boyet Masilang was presently on the way from a very important previous commitment in Manila. Soon enough, the good local chief executive arrived as announced by JR de Gracia, in time for a comprehensive power point presentation of the Agawan Festival 2008 photographs taken by sariaya.net Webmaster Jubert Reyes, accompanied by an apt festive drumbeat cacophony of percussions to great effect, from the preparations to the so called “Happy Pandemonium”, that highlighted the joyous tradition of thanksgiving to everybody, most especially the hundred plus guests who have yet to see and experience such for themselves. Then Mr. Herbert Perez led his well-known and much-regarded Sariaya East Elementary School Rondalla onstage to play a beautiful 12-minute “Symphony”, a medley composed of excerpts from local Filipino folk songs. After that came a series of Filipiniana dance numbers care of the Sariaya Women’s Federation collectively dubbed as the “Sayaw ng Lahi”, followed by the singing of the Angeli Mariae Chorale of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion Parish of Barangay Lutucan led by their erstwhile mentor Rev. Fr. Gilbert Talabong, who even sang popular Telenovela theme songs to the delight of the cheering and applauding ABS-CBN “Kapamilya” enthusiasts.

 

It was getting late and at this juncture, the guests from Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino Provinces got up to leave and thanked Mayor and Mrs. Masilang for the warm reception, as they had yet to travel to Manila thereafter, and so the vacant seats were then occupied by the  audience when they left. Next to present was the costumed Sariaya West Elementary School teachers who did a series of dances set in the “Kabundukan areas of Sariaya”. Just as the men onstage were busy with  routines as the “mukmukan” or the pounding of boiled unripe saba bananas mixed with a variety of ingredients like sugar, peanuts, margarine, coconut strips and condensed  milk among others, the ladies danced below on the extension of the stage to enliven up things . . .  to the cadenzas of appreciative applause of the audience. Sariaya East Elementary School teachers on the other hand did a comic skit about the old style “Harana”, “Ligawan”, “Pasilungan” and the eventual “Kasalan”, much to the amusement and enjoyment of the spectators, most specially the younger set who could not identify with them, owing to the high tech quality of today’s realities. They had a makeshift “Kubo” of light traditional materials with a big lean to style window that can be opened as effective props for the delightful proceedings. As a novel part of the “Pasilungan”, Mayor Boyet and Mayora Wena were asked to come up onstage to serve as the “Ninong” and “Ninang” of the newly-weds, who earlier figured in a traditional “Harana”, then suddenly found themselves gearing towards instantaneous family life, care of the love-struck young man suddenly grasping the hand of the flirtatious lady who shrieked in feigned-looking surprise as he was to head home for the night. There was even a “Tagayan”, that saw the Mayor and some officers and members of the STC BOD suddenly being offered to drink a shot each of the “Gising-Gising style-Lambanog”, to further amusement. But what made the audience howl with unbridled glee and abandoned laughter was during the “Kasalan” portion wherein after the “wedding rites”, the playful Dyun Abanador started the loud shouting of “Kiss!” The “newly-weds” gamely obliged with a  light “beso-beso” to more shouts of amusement,  and thereafter, the “Bride” threw the bouquet which was readily grabbed by  one of the graceful dancers downstage.

 

After this, the bursting energy and adrenalin of the young Sariayahins were given release starting with a fashion show by the winners of the “Figuras 2009” together with some of their fellow contestants. They modeled attractive contemporary wear by the town’s talented fashion designers as they sashayed to apt ramp music up and down the stage, with the clicking of cell phone and instant cameras illuminating them for posterity. The evolution of modern dances complete with  matching fad fashion of the times  presented  by the “Samahang Kabataan”, the “Pag-asa Youth Association” and the “Youth Leadership Summit (Youth For Peace)”, which is part of the exciting life of fun-loving young Sariayahins starting with the post war generation, followed the cultural presentations. The 50s and the 60s were represented by rock n’ roll, just as the much-missed voice of the “Queen of Sensuous Rock Donna Summer” heralded the 1970s with “Last Dance”, beginning the medley of nostalgic dances like “The Hustle”, Swing, YMCA, Annie BatungBakal, Bongga Ka ‘Day and  manhood in full swagger with “Katawan” by the Hagibis. The 1980s was laden with the “Bagets” fad, Madonna’s “Borderline”, Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wan’na Have Fun” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” from the 1983 “Thriller” Album, while the 90s came off with the Latin-inspired “Macarena” and “Hip Hop”. The first decade of the 21st century was given to novelty dances like “Spaghetti”, “Ocho-Ocho”, and “Bulaklak”, the last being performed by males to much amusement, followed by an even more energetic show of adrenalin by the students of Colegio de Santo Cristo de Burgos with their abandoned adherence to contemporary dancing.

 

Then the stage darkened and a surprise written tribute for the director, Mr. Federico Ceribo, thought and conceptualized by Susan Caballes and Tek Baligod, and written by Eric J. Dedace was read by emcee JR de Gracia. It should have been accompanied by a photo slide show conceptualized, produced and sponsored by Tek Baligod and done by Ryan Racoma, showing  his works with the STC and the Sariaya Local Government Unit,  which did not materialize due to a miscue. With the youth dance fever over, the last two numbers were devoted to “real dancing” . . . the first being a sensuous jazzy number by STC’s Dramatic Guild member Ms. Jo Anne Almendrala and her partner, which was followed by the beautiful, lively and exciting Cha-Cha by Sir Fidi and Mrs. Caballes, greeted with applause and cheer by the audience.  Then the lights went on again and emcee JR de Gracia thanked everyone for coming to watch the “Gabi Ng Kultura”, with the oft and repeated reminder for the concerned participants to come early the following morning to the park assembly area for the “Parada Ng Lahi”. As the people streamed out of the Sariaya Sports Complex at midnight, Dean Cora exchanged pleasantries with Mayor Masilang and then bade him, his wife and the STC good night, as they headed for their respective accommodations. Eric Dedace then accompanied College of Architecture Professor Jojo Mata, as well as UP AIT Professors Virgilio Maguigad and Richard Gonzalo to the tricycle terminal at Quezon Avenue opposite Apple Bakery for their ride to Ada’s Garden and Spa where they were to spend the night. Then he suddenly remembered the Parochial Museum’s San Isidro Labrador image still on the outer periphery of the stage on the way to the restrooms, so he returned to the Complex where the only people left were the sound system crew busy with the recovery of their electronic gadgets for loading on their truck for the return trip to Manila, and Willy Oblefias who had to clean the mess left by the undertaking. He requested him to help remove the bamboo poles that they attached to the image hours ago and to carry it inside the storage room where it would remain for the time being prior to returning back to the Museum. Heading home thereafter, he saw that the streets along the Agawan Festival procession route were still alive with the townspeople still in the midst of decorating their respective homes for the next day’s celebration.

 

May 15th dawned clear and the people joining the parade as well as the numerous volunteers were already up and about in the plaza. Jeepneys were arriving from all the outlying barangays of Sariaya, bringing people dressed up in their respective locality’s T shirts and apparels embellished in the spirit of their particular sources of livelihood. According to a list made by Municipal Local Government Operations Officer and STC BOD member Mrs. Myrna Rocafort, as agreed upon during the meeting with the Association of Barangay Captains, some of the barangay townspeople and others joining the parade were to be dressed as follows:

 

1. Balubal – Buri interwoven with Coconut midrib (Tingting) to be worn by the members of the Sariaya Women’s Federation Balubal Chapter.

2. Santo Cristo – vegetables like “Sitaw” or sting beans and other products to be artfully embellished on their skirt of woven buri leaves.

3. Concepcion I- farmers wearing white long sleeve shirt and red scarf, topped by a native hat hanged with “Sitaw”.

4. Concepcion Palasan – milk candies hanging from the clothes of the people while Sampaguita necklaces were provided for the Sangguniang Barangay members.

5. Mamala 2 – members of the “Hubog Sining” founded by the local Samahang Kabataan wearing a variety of costumes.

6. Gibanga – stringed “Talong” and “Ampalaya”

7. Poblacion 6 – necklaces of “Pastillas” or Milk Candies.

8. Canda – native hats decorated with “Sitaw” around them.

9. Poblacion 2 – “Pastillas” or milk candies hanging from the clothes.

10. Tumbaga 2 – “Sitaw” tied in the hats with grains of corn tracing the rank of the Sangguniang Barangay officers.

11. Pantoc – stalks of palay hanging from the clothes.

12. Manggalang Kiling – hats with “Sitaw” to be worn by the local Samahang Kababaihan.

13. Sampaloc 1 – “Sitaw” – inspired costume worn by the local Samahang Kababaihan.

14. Bignay 2 – “Sitaw” decorated hats.

15. Lutucan 1 – people carrying baskets full of Lutucan products.

16. Villa del Prado – purple colored shirts emblazoned with everything about their resort.


Included in the roster of the different organizations and schools invited to join the parade were as follows:

SCHOOLS

 

1. Department of Education Sariaya East

2. Department of Education Sariaya West

3. St. Joseph’s Academy

4. St. Francis High School

5. Sariaya Institute

6. Lutucan National High School

7. Canda National High School

8. Computer Systems Technological College

9. Colegio de Santo Cristo de Burgos

10. Sariaya Baptist School

 

ORGANIZATIONS

1. Magandahan Club Second Generation

2. Jazzletics

3. TUKLAS Sariaya

4. Sariaya’s 1300 Club

5. Out of the Box

6. Sariaya Quadri Centennial Foundation

7. Kapatiran Ng Sariaya Foundation Inc. (KASAFI)

8. Sariaya Association of California

9. Parish Pastoral Council

10. Parish Council on Economic Affairs

11. Parish Council on Church Heritage and Devotions

12. St. Francis of Assisi Parish Church led by Msgr. Noe Loredo, Rev. Fr. Roy Macatangay and  Rev. Fr. Andrew Oribiana

13. Knights of Columbus

14. Rotary Club of Sariaya

15. Sariaya Union of Merchants and Vendors Association Inc.  (SUMVAI)

16. Sariaya Credit Cooperative Corporation

17. Sariaya Hog Raisers

18. United Coconut Planters Bank

19. Rural bank of Tagkawayan

20. Luzon Development Bank

21. Sariaya Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association  (SJODA)

22. Sariaya Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association  (STODA)

23. Sariaya Van Association   (SVA)

24. Sariaya Farmers Federation  (SAFAFED)

25. Samahan ng mga Mangingisda

26. Sariaya Senior Citizens’ Federation

27. Sariaya Women’s Federation

28. Sariaya Philippine National Police

29. Bantay ng Bayan

30. Beach Resorts Owners Association of Sariaya   (BROAS)

31. Youth Leadership Summit (Youth For Peace)

32. Samahang Kabataan

33. Pag-Asa Youth Association

34. Association of Barangay Captains

 

Rounding up the participants in the “Parada Ng Lahi” were the employees of all the Departments of the Local Government Unit of Sariaya and the Officers and Board of Directors of the Sariaya Tourism Council. The long parade which started at almost 8 AM with the Lutucan National High School Drum and Bugle Corps, snaked throughout the long route of the Agawan Festival which inevitably stalled traffic at both sides of Calle General Luna. That and the hundreds of gently swaying  Bagakays decorated with gaily colored hand woven hats from Muntingbayan to the Sunrise Bakery along the main street truly highlighted the Sariayahin May time celebration to the passing commuters. The parade ended at the Rizal park where the participants and guests fell in line to be served a very hearty merienda of delicious Pancit Habhab, Kakanin and cold drinks. Even the effervescent and good-natured “life of the party” UP AIT Dean Corazon Rodriguez, together with UP College of Human Kinetics Professor Mynette Aguilar and her daughter likewise fell in line for the hearty merienda and they talked about it to Mayora Wena Masilang. A very festive and delightful atmosphere of sharing and camaraderie exuded from the area, what with the whole Sariayahin community engaging in the babble and Babel of conversations, punctuated with that characteristic “Habhaban” on the doubled banana leaf squares owing to the hotness of the Pansit! As the band continued to play their music, the cameras clicked and the video cameras zoomed, most especially when the impeccably-dressed “Figuras 2009” winners and candidates who brought up the rear of the parade arrived. All the while, some local tourists were already shopping for woven handicrafts, “pasalubong” items, ornamental plants and even “Alamid Coffee” at ten pesos per Styrofoam cup, among the other goodies on sale. Gary Deduyo had to hide the poor “Alamid” under his cloth covered table, out of the reach of the high-spirited and curious children who tried to touch it with their fingers through its temporary cage lent by Tek Baligod, to avoid them being bitten by the timid-looking yet can be ferocious civet when cornered as such. People were having their photos taken together with Mayor Boyet Masilang, Vice Mayor Ronan Nantes and the Sangguniang Bayan members present, as well as with the guest of honor, Quezon Governor Raffy Nantes, who was wearing a red polo shirt. Local reporters as well as ABS-CBN TV Magazine PA Jason Evangelista and his camera man were rendered busy with their broadcast interviews on the local dignitaries present.

 

Suddenly, the band playing stopped in order to give way to the “Sayawit” courtesy of the Sariaya Senior Citizens Federation, wherein four well-coiffed, highly-spirited golden ladies led by Mrs. Dorica Obnial of Calle Magdami, garbed in traditional Filipiniana wear, sat in front of a table near the Sariaya Tourism Council booth, with glasses for the drinking of “Gising-Gising Lambanog” to start on the traditiona l”Paawitan and Tagayan” rituals of the olden days. Then, holding the microphone, the air was filled with their “halinhinan and sambutan”, one-at-a-time manner of singing those spontaneous lines in that characteristic lilting tune that can only be described as “pig-it na pig-it ang boses” or in peculiar Sariayahin Tagalog as “tagin-ikan” accompanied by a peculiar “Spanish Danza” rhythm of playing the guitar, and traditionally put by the old people  as  . . . “Iyaaaa ay nakanta na’y naawit pa!” This was most likely the largest gathering of that vanishing tribe of “Paawitan” singers so far in recent memory, done through the efforts of the Senior Citizens and the “Samahang Kababaihan”, which indeed is a big eye-opener on the old tradition, not only to the visiting tourists but the younger generation of Sariayahins as well. Traditionally done during the “Tomo Posicion” or the swearing in of the newly-elected “Cabeza de Barangay”, the “Paawitan” was likewise performed in any social gathering that involved social drinking. The spontaneity of the lyrics delivered in rhyme is what strikes the listeners, depending on the topic of the occasion like courtship, the arrangements to be done before the wedding of the prospective groom and  bride, and even the paying of debts. A sample of the good-natured jousting along that line can be seen in the following :

 

“Magpautang ka na’t ikaw ay mayroon, Magbabayad kami, hindi maglalaon, Hintayin mo lamang mamunga ang santol, Ay magbabayad kami kahit ilang bay-ong”

 

“Ang sabi mo ale, kita’y pautangin, Pautangin naman, hirap mo ay singilin, Pagdating ng bukas, bubukas-bukasin, Ay pagdating ng Linggo, ay sa Linggo pa mandin”

 

Even if the whole thing revolves around drinking, anybody can, accordingly, refuse the “tagay”  and the consequential drunkenness so long as he/she can skillfully deliver the polite refusal through the “Paawitan”. Whatever some of the costumed members of the “Samahang Kababaihan”  even secured glasses of “Gising-Gising lambanog” in their bun-tied hairs with “Sintas” so they moved freely with ease while dancing the sway balance to the “Paawitan” and offering a swig of the face-wincing liquor to everyone, that added to the delightful fun of it all. The four old ladies even went to where the governor was being interviewed by the broadcast media and tried their artful craft honed by years of knowing experience on him but to no avail . . . . . he just sniffed from the glass and with customary politeness, smilingly refused the drink offered to him. Others like Rik Sumague and Eric Dedace gamely obliged to the “Tagay” offered them by the Samahang Kababaihan members, confident that they can handle the drink care of the Pansit Habhab that they had just eaten as the necessary “Sapin” from it all. One of the female UP AIT tourists invited her colleagues to put a glass of “Gising-Gising” on her head and join the dancing but upon sniffing the liquor lost her heart and laughingly moved away.

 

Later in the morning, Mayora Wena, Tek Baligod and Arlene Palabrica among others braved the heat of the midday sun and accompanied the judges onto a waiting vehicle, roaming around the route of the Agawan procession to choose the winners of the house decoration contest. The criteria of the contest involved the following:

Pagkamalikhain:  35 %
Paggamit ng mga Indigenous Materials:  30 %
Disenyo: 20 %
Kaangkupan sa Paksa: 35 %

Thereafter, they went to the terrace of the Plaza de Shalom Restaurant overlooking the back of the Donya Carmen Rodriguez Arguelles Heritage House that included a view of the swimming pool and the garden, as well as the ruins of the Gobernadorcillo Roman Reynoso House along Calle Bonifacio, where the judges deliberated on the results.  Then they had a hearty lunch dished out with animated conversations while waiting for the time to once again roam around in the vehicle and inform the winning house owners as well as their corresponding prizes as :

 

First Prize: Colored TV + P 20, 000. 00
Second Prize: Refrigerator + P 15, 000. 00
Third Prize: Washing Machine + P 10, 000. 00
Consolation Prizes: 5 DVD Players + P 3, 000. 00

 

Meanwhile, Tek Baligod excused herself and accompanied by STC BOD member Malou Prado went to the park for the judging of the “Pinaka” contest. The prizes per agricultural produce enlisted were as follows :

 

Langka: P 2, 000. 00

Kalabasa: P 1, 000. 00

Upo:  P 1, 000. 00

Niyog: P 1, 000. 00

Papaya: P 1, 000. 00

Repolyo: P 1, 000. 00

Kamote: P 1, 000. 00

Balinghoy: P 1, 000. 00

Buwig ng Saging (Saba, Lakatan, Latundan):  P 2, 000. 00

Buwig ng Niyog: P 1, 500. 00

Total        P12,500. 00

At 3 in the afternoon, the church was filled with people for the holy mass in honor of San Isidro Labrador while the Agawan Festival route was still filled with vehicles as their owners were taking the chance to see the house decorations still intact for the last time. They ogled at them, “Lechon” and “Lechong Manok”  and “Inihaw na Isda”preening on windows at times, . . .  most likely trying to spot what “prized loot” they can take with them during the procession . . . . . . . native hats, “bilaos”, umbrellas, T shirts, shorts,  bunches of luscious green mangoes, pineapples, watermelon, melon, pop corn, pop rice, “chichiria”, “duhat”, rice in plastics, vegetables, curtains and draperies of “Pastillas”, grocery items, money in plastics,  etcetera, as well as jumbo “Pinag-ong with over-sized “utong” or “nipple”,  and the traditional big “Pamahiyas” or multi-colored bread shaped as boxers, fish, eagle, gun, and horse, hanging from the balcony of the Sariaya Bread House. The kind-hearted proprietors Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Lim even donated the “Pamahiyas” decorated below each of the fourteen old “escayola” depictions of the Stations of the Cross inside the church which were likewise obviously being eyed by the church goers. While touring the UP AIT people in church early that afternoon, Eric Dedace and his companions heard a lady commentator speaking over the microphone to the people inside to wait for the end of the holy mass and the start of the procession before getting the goodie decorations! By 4 PM, the church patio was filling with people out to join the traditional procession, and excitement was in the air as the holy mass was about to end.

 

Eric Dedace who was with Dean Cora Rodriguez, Professors Aguilar, Gonzalo and Maguigad as well as some of the UP AIT tourists, were  invited earlier to a very delicious and hearty merienda by Sariaya Bread House proprietress Mrs. Agnes Tan-Lim and her son, STC BOD member Jacob Lim. But by then, they had to carry their “loot” of colorful fans, hats, jumbo Pinag-ong and “Pamahiyas” given by the Lims to their tourist bus on Calle Gomez, so they temporarily parted ways, to meet later during the procession. Heading for the church patio, he met with his two younger sisters Tina and Millie, Dutch brother-in-law Andre Scherpenberg, and Jean, a guest, all but him as very excited first timers to joining the fun-filled San Isidro procession. Andre’ was very eager to take photographs for his Philippines 2009 Summer vacation web blog online, that earlier took  him to Mount Pinatubo, Laoag’s “Malacanang Ti Amianan” and the beautiful Paoay church in Ilocos Norte, Vigan and Santa Maria’s World Heritage church  in Ilocos Sur, as well as Legaspi City, Daraga, and Mount Mayon in Albay. That morning, they left very early for Lucban’s Pahiyas Festival that gave him great photo opportunities, and Sariaya’s Agawan Festival would complete the picture. The said blog is written in Dutch, with an eye-catching  surreal photo rendition of the Philippine jeepney as a letterhead of sorts, a commitment to friends and officemates back home in the Netherlands, so he can share his “Vakantie in de Filippijnen” with them! Truly and indeed, Andre’ is doing a great and effective way of promoting the Philippines, Sariaya included that is, as a tourist destination in their part of Europe! Suddenly, they chanced upon maternal first cousin Cynthia and husband Dyun Abanador likewise awaiting the procession with much excitement like everyone else, so they posed for a souvenir shot care of Andre’. Then the church bells began pealing signaling the start of the procession, and firecrackers exploded when the silver-plated carroza of the antique image of the patron saint of farmers, dressed in sky blue robe with shiny trimmings came out of the main door of the church after the sacristans, the priests and the Sariayahin faithful. As customary, Eric, Dyun and Cynthia took the time to ask Msgr. Noe Loredo and Rev. Fr. Andrew Oribiana to bless them before the expected yet fun-filled unruliness of it all ruled. San Isidro was canopied with a half column of vegetables like “ampalaya”, carrots, eggplants, string beans and the like, together with stalks of palay embellished with “Kiping” for color. As always, he was accompanied atop the carroza by two or three men whose job was to put away the electrical, telephone and cable TV wires, as well tree foliage and falling debris that might hit the “Santo” during the mad scramble after it passes the houses along the procession route.

 

 The Green and white uniform garbed members of the Lutucan National High School Drum and Bugle Corps played appropriate lively music that added a very festive atmosphere to the traditional proceedings. Snapshots clicked from every direction as video cameras captured the start of the so-called “Happy pandemonium” of the Agawan Festival, as the rugged-looking sack-bearing revelers positioned themselves at the back of the saint’s “carroza”, eager to grab at everything that comes within their arm reach. Shouts of excitement rose above the cacophony of the band playing as the carroza passed by the very first “Bagakay” near the Saint Joseph’s Academy and soon enough,  men jumped up on its thin trunk and  felled it to the ground and the mad scramble was begun. The shouting and the shrieking began and suddenly reached fever pitch without let up as the procession wound up the main street with traffic ground to a halt on both sides and people on every type of vehicle caught in it standing and straining to look at the maddening spectacle that is Sariaya’s brand of celebrating the Feast of San Isidro Labrador. Some of them even excitedly got out of their stalled vehicles and tried to help themselves at the goodie decorations being thrown from all directions as well as the “Bagakays” that  are felled on the ensuing action-packed tradition. It was a literal slapstick rain of blessings all throughout the procession route, that to the uninitiated and unprepared first timer to Sariaya at such a time can be shocking and frightening, as when the young cousin of a then very popular female teen star in the early 90’s hysterically found out when she was caught in the middle of a free-for-all at the height of the so-called “Saintly Banditry, with “Bagakays” falling around her. Whatever, that was a very rare case of extreme reaction to a beautiful and fun-filled tradition of celebration that has characterized the Agawan Festival of Sariaya, that has left such a strong impact in the hearts and minds of guests, visitors and tourists, who brave the long traffic-laden drive and ride through the South Luzon Expressway every May 15th just so they can be privy again and again and again, to the most expressed form of giving and sharing by a people this side of the country. With Andre’ getting stuck somewhere in his quest for exciting snapshots, Eric, Tina, Millie and Jean struggled to keep ahead of the San Isidro Labrador carroza to avoid the bedlam of it all at the back. Suddenly seeing Andre’ nearby, they posed for another shot then parted ways at Lambingan bridge where the three ladies headed for the Jumawan ancestral house at Calle Magdami which was in the procession route. The very crowded procession and the sheer number of people on both sides of every street made one think of columns of marching ants out to divest anything along their path. At times, super excited house owners tore down and threw their painstakingly- designed and crafted decorations on the people way ahead who begged for them, even long before the image of San Isidro reached their area, and felled “bagakays’ already devoid of their erstwhile hanging goodies blocked the way of the carroza to the consternation of the church people and the marshals. Oftentimes, adrenalin-packed young men would climb houses ala “Akyat Bahay” style, grabbed at the still hanging goodies and souvenir items, then threw them to the eager crowd ahead of the procession, all in the spirit of unbridled fun, and indeed, there was nothing that the more sedate populace adhering to the old tradition can do about it. But by and large, most of the house owners still awaited the blessing of the “Santo” before ripping and throwing their decorations to everyone.  It was this  crazy, wacky, and truly out of this world experience that the Agawan Festival  enthusiasts came to Sariaya for  year, after year, after year, and they always experience even more than they ever expected.

 

Towards sundown, the silver-plated carroza bearing the patron saint of farmers was already returning to the patio amid the explosion of firecrackers still being followed by the sack-bearing revelers, disheveled from all that action. And when the “Santo” has entered the church, the still adrenalin-packed rowdy crowd then tore at the decorations embellished around it unmindful of the appeal from its caretakers and the procession marshals, and even despite the presence of the icon’s owner Mr. Roger Rodriguez Cabunag and his sons. The caretakers were already perched atop the carroza with San Isidro and helped remove the vegetables for giving to the impatient and ever demanding fellows. But eventually, the people were prevailed upon momentarily as a priest performed the ritual incensing of the whole carroza. And then they were at it again, overeagerly stretching their hands for a little bit more of the already blessed decorations. As he watched on the unfolding scene, Eric Dedace noted that the people are more rowdy than the previous year, perhaps owing to the great economic difficulties that beset the country brought about by the present global recession. Whatever, he thought that maybe, just maybe, there were people who participated in the procession  still adhering to the said old traditional practice   of burning all the things they got and having them strewn in their fields for a bountiful harvest, their very own personalized a way of paying homage to San Isidro Labrador. Afterwards, the giving of decorations from the carroza was stopped and it was brought out of church towards its home, the Donya Carmen Rodriguez Arguelles Heritage House where it will remain once again until next year’s Feast Day.

 

En route for a talk with Professor Tony Lazaro of the UP AIT about the recently concluded Agawan Festival home stay program on their air conditioned bus parked along Calle Gomez before their group left for Quezon City, the Sariaya Sports Complex was being readied for the last activity of the day . . . the 1st Mayor Boyet V. Masilang Skateboard Competition dubbed as “Arya Rakrakan!”, that would include a rock festival.  The hordes of visitors and tourists were either already gone or just leaving, and except for the debris of the festivities then already being swept away by the townspeople off the streets, Sariaya was back to normal once again.