The Sariaya Community Empowerment UP Research Team presented its initial output at the 2nd General Assembly of the Sariaya Tourism Council (STC) held at the St. Joseph’s Academy Gymnasium on Saturday, November 10, 2007. Led by Dean Corazon Rodriguez of the Asian Institute of Tourism (AIT), the rest of the multi disciplinary group included College Secretary Prof. Antonio Lazaro, Prof. Romeo de la Cruz, and Research Assistant Kristel Parungao (AIT), Asst. Prof. Marie Eloisa “Binky” Ulanday (College of Human Kinetics), Asst. Prof. Anril P. Tiatco (College of Home Economics), Dr. Verne de la Pena (College of Music) and Ms. Joy Quiambao (UP Research Project Secretary).A fifth academic entity, the College of Architecture was not represented because Professors Mata and Ozaeta had to attend to very important previous commitments.

The research team, on a landmark study of local culture since December 2006 in order to help the Sariaya Tourism Council in establishing a comprehensive and workable grassroots heritage-based tourism program, came here to report the initial results respective conclusions obtained, for validation by the Sariayahin stakeholders via PowerPoint presentation.

For the third consecutive year, the Sariaya Tourism Council (STC), did the traditional “Pangangaluluwa” around town on the night of Tuesday, October 30, 2007, as part of its commitment to the preservation and enhancement of local, time - honored traditions.

The “Pangangaluluwa“ is based on the traditional belief that the souls of the dead roam and visit the living on “All Souls’ Day“ which falls on November 2nd, just as the “All Saints’ Day“ is celebrated on November 1st. Accordingly, in the old days, young children were roused from sleep at midnight by their parents and were made to look out of the windows to watch the “Mangangaluluwa“, a group of people who were fully cloaked with white cloth from head to toe. Initially, they pray the “Ama Namin“, the “Aba Ginoong Maria“ and the “Luwalhati“, in voices that seem to come from the grave. Then they render traditional songs of the occasion and were given alms by the house owners, which they used to pay for masses to be said in honor of the souls of the departed. It was customary to prepare and serve “Ginataan“, a host of root crops like “camote, gabe and ube“, solely, or in combination, with “sago“, “galapong“ balls for “pinaltok“ and “langka“, cooked in rich thick coconut milk, sweetened with ample sugar for the occasion.

In recent years, the “Pangangaluluwa“ all but vanished from convention and has been replaced by the now very popular, western - adapted Halloween “trick or treat“ and ghoulish costume parties, an inevitable consequence of too much commercialization and the proliferation of the Mall culture.

Belen Festival '07

For this year however, the contest has been expanded to include entries from the other towns in Quezon province. Letters of invitation signed by STC President Rev. Fr. Andrew S. Hernandez, and Mayor Rosauro V. Masilang, STC Chairperson, were given to the respective Tourism Council representatives of Candelaria, Tiaong, San Antonio and Dolores, as well as Lucena City, Tayabas City, Lucban and Pagbilao, during the recently concluded 13th Southern Tagalog Tourism Council Assembly held at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena from October 18 – 20, 2007. Addressed to the respective Mayors of the said localities, this goodwill gesture was done with the hope of facilitating the representation and participation of our neighboring communities to this emerging Sariayahin tradition of celebrating the Christmas cheer.

A volunteer adviser from the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) came to Sariaya on the morning of Tuesday, October 23, 2007, at the heels of the province – wide tourism program priority thrust of the office of Quezon Governor Rafael Nantes. Mr. Robert Tuss, Director/Senior Advisor for Strategic Marketing and Business Development arrived at the Municipal Building, accompanied by personnel from the Provincial Tourism Office in Lucena City.

Since Mayor Rosauro V. Masilang was out of town on a very important official undertaking, the party was received by Municipal Administrator Victor Alviso at the Mayor’s Office Conference Hall. With him were Mr. Cecilio Sedenio and Mr. Ronnie Lindog from the Municipal Planning and Development Center (MPDC), Consultant for Tourism Affairs Mr. Dyun Abanador, Tourism Events and Planning Coordinator Ms. Arlene C. Palabrica and Eric J. Dedace, Secretary of the Sariaya Tourism Council.

Mr. Tuss introduced himself, gave an overview of what CESO is all about, and an idea of his job as official Tourism Consultant of Quezon Province, with his forty years of thorough experience as Tourism and Hospitality Specialist, as appropriate credentials. He stressed the importance of identifying and zeroing in on what is indigenously strong as a way of effectively marketing Sariaya for local and eventually global tourism, with the involvement of an enlightened public and the creation of a comprehensive website. According to him, awareness about the importance of information technology, as well as the  new trends in the so - called “ interactive tourism “ based on experiencing grassroots culture and heritage, with creativity and resourcefulness in catering to the demands of tourists, are the keys to profitability and success in today’s highly competitive  tourism business.

Thereafter, a short walking tour through Mabini, Daliz, Rizal, and Gomez streets along rows of ancestral houses followed, from the Municipio to the restaurant of Mr. Larry Baylen on Gomez corner Magdami streets. Over a  late breakfast, Mr. Tuss encouraged more questions from the group and gave them additional information on how to manage tourism sustainability for the whole year, based on the “ Kabundukan, Kapatagan and Karagatan “ geographical endowments of Sariaya, as opposed to the seasonal  festival-based   thrust  in  Philippine tourism today. He gave examples on how such was being done in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, in the icy far north of Russia, in the empty plains of Mongolia and in the coffee growing tropical jungles of South America.

A short visit to the 1748 Saint Francis of Assisi Church and the “ Museo ng Debosyon at Buhay “  Franciscan Museum followed. Lack of time and strong rains prevented a more comprehensive tour of the town down to the beach resorts along   Sariaya’s Tayabas Bay

Area. At twelve high noon, Mr. Robert Tuss and company headed for the next leg of his Quezon tour sorties, Candelaria.