Tags: Festivals and Fiestas, Indigenous Culture
By Anna Valmero
SAN PABLO CITY, LAGUNA – Every January, major streets in this city burst into color as hundreds of students parade and dance in honor of the tree of life, the town’s main agricultural produce.
For Brian Cube, the celebration of the week-long Coconut Festival highlights the importance and the many uses of the humble coconut tree to residents like him. A native of San Pablo, he said he was able to attend the past three festivals after being based in his hometown for work.
This year, the highlight of the festival was the local version of the Mardi Gras where elementary and high school students paraded and danced in colorful costumes made of coconut materials such as fruits, shells, leaves and flowers, among others.
“This year, the parade was highlighted by the splash of colors as shown by the floats and costumes of the participants. The fireworks were also grander than the previous years,” described Brian.
The fluvial parade and street dancing were held on January 13, two days before the town fiesta celebrating their patron Saint Paul The Hermit. The banderitas in red and yellow seal the signature fiesta look of the town and even complemented the street dancers as they performed their routines and acrobatics in full view of the locals and visitors.
Brian noted that each school took month-long preparations for the parade, with the costumes designed two months ago and dance practices being held for about a month before the festival.
“Like in any province, this is one of our most awaited events of the year so people really prepare for it.”
He added that the cost of outlandish costumes even surpass the cash prizes given to the winners—for them it was all about the fun and sharing of culture. Not one of the dancers failed to smile to the audience despite their aching feet from kilometric walks while clad in full-bodied costumes.
For Brian, the festival would rival the Panagbenga festival in Baguio given that San Pablo natives were able to fashion the green and brown-hued coconut materials into something more colorful—and in designs that took months to materialize from the drawing board. The ingenuity of the designs of the fluvial floats reflect the creativity of the residents and their resourcefulness.
This translates to the business industry as shown by Soriano Multipurpose Fiber Corporation, a local company that produces eco-friendly garden products from coconut husks.
Although the festival started only in 1996, Brian said it is a must-see event because locals from nearby towns and provinces troop to the city to take part in the event. He added that the festival also helps promote local tourist activities such as the rafting in the Seven Lakes, visiting museum shops and dining at homey cafes.
According to him, one need not go far to witness a quintessential town fiesta. Especially for those who grew up in the metro, he said that going to this Laguna town in just two hours can open up a lot of opportunities to experience provincial life while enjoying the benefits of the city.
“It may not be as popular as other century-old festivals but the Coconut Festival is unique to Laguna. The coconut symbolizes the resiliency and resourcefulness of our people to keep up with progress while preserving our heritage and natural resources, “ he said.
(Photos by Brian Cube)
Related stories:
Rafting tours in Lake Pandin provide livelihood for wives of San Pablo fishermen
Laguna firm makes eco-friendly garden products using coconut husks
A scenic view of Lake Sampaloc at San Pablo’s Cafe Lago
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