Remembering Festivals: Daydreaming and a Bit of the Blues

This pandemic has definitely dulled down the colorful festival life of the Philippines. It has been months since people have last gathered together in large throngs to celebrate the gift of life with revelry and merriment on the streets. Gone are the days of drinking with friends and dancing to wild beats in a chic parade of floats and colors. The Philippines’ festivals have been put on an indefinite hold.

However, this does not mean that we cannot reminisce the beautiful sensations and sounds of the festivals that have been ingrained in our collective psyche as Filipinos. For decades, we have been witnesses to the beautiful cultural aspects embodied in our festival floats and the hard work poured into hours of choreography for street dancing and other highlights. We surely miss the hours of laughter exchanged, the holding of hands while walking down the street, and the kisses on cheeks in greeting to loved ones who fly in seasonally to join the fun.

Don’t you just miss the hours of basking in the morning sun after a full night of frivolities and careless acquiescence to the call of the music and the sea of strangers? So, let’s briefly remember the festivals that have made our hearts race and our feet ache from endless dancing.

Festivals to Remember

The festivals of Luzon include the Pahiyas Festival of Lucban, Quezon and the Panagbenga Festival of Baguio City. The Pahiyas is a festival in honor of San Isidro Labrador. It gives thanks for a bountiful harvest which is why fresh fruits and vegetables also abound for visitors to eat for free during this festival. What is more special about it is the kiping, which is a thin leaf-shaped wafer made of sticky rice. And get this, you can eat them too! Kiping can be enjoy on its own or you can drizzle it with condensed milk or dip it in vinegar—quite the contrast, but both delicious.

The Panagbenga is a festival of flowers which is one of the staples in Baguio City’s economy. It is akin to the Rose Parade of Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, but with more varieties of flowers in the colorful floats. The smorgasbord of nature’s beautiful creations and the incredible array of aromas attract thousands of tourists yearly. This is on top of the cool and pleasing Baguio climate, mind you. The cool atmosphere filled with wafts of fresh flower scents by the thousands and you get an unforgettable festival experience.

In the Visayas, the Sinulog Festival of Cebu, the Ati-atihan Festival of Aklan, and the Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City have always attracted a large number of tourists who wish to join the festivities in honor of the Santo Niño or the child Jesus. The festivals are a beautiful blend of the local culture and the religious aspects of community life. The locals dress up in costumes made from indigenous materials, complete with headdresses and back-dresses that could rival international pageants. More often than not, there are street parties and dance competitions sponsored by the local governments, accompanied by a flood of food and drinks. The locals often paint their faces dark in remembrance of the native populations of these islands, which provides a great contrast to the bright colors of their costumes and the even brighter smiles on their faces.

Down south in Mindanao, the Tuna Festival of General Santos City and the Kadayawan Festival of Davao City are top of mind when it comes to festivals. The mouthwatering, not to mention, ginormous tuna fish of the city are quite the attraction. Have you ever tried the famous grilled tuna panga? It’s the jaw of the fish—grilled to perfection—retaining its juices and flavors mingling with the smoked, charry goodness from the cooking process. Who would not want to flight out there for that? Ugh, the trip would be so worth the fish. And get this, during the festival, eating your fill of tuna is absolutely free!

The Kadayawan Festival of Davao City honors its indigenous people. The name of the festival came from the native term madayaw which means good, valuable and superior. Every year, the people of the city give thanks in bursts of color and dance-inducing beats on the streets. Much like other festivals in our country, they show their gratitude for the bountiful gifts of nature that enable them to sustain their communities.

A Festival of Our Own

Bacolod City is quite renowned for its Masskara Festival which showcases beautifully painted masks to hide whatever pain there may be. It was the people’s coping mechanism when the sugar industry was in crisis in the 80s, which was exacerbated by the tragedy of the MV Don Juan. Both dismal events ended the lives of many Negrenses making despair creep into the hearts of the people.

To dispel this, the festival was created as an active way of saying that the City of Smiles will not sink with the ship nor its sweetness die with the sugarcanes. Smiles were painted on masks and the people wore them while dancing on the streets as if to say that they will nurse their broken hearts by dancing to the tune of hope and maybe a little bit of beer.

The Masskara Festival has drawn thousands of tourists each year, crowding in the city’s main thoroughfare Lacson Street, drinking and eating to their hearts’ content. Kiosks would line both sides of the street and each kiosk offers an assortment of food, beverages, and yes, some liquor for the festival frenzy. A local would by now be nostalgic of the street parade with floats of neon lights and live bands playing on makeshift stages, just a few meters away from a videoke kiosks also blasting loud music. The singing might be bad, but it’s free for all in videoke, you know.

Balloon peddlers would be holding SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, or Spiderman on a string. They’d all be floating overhead in all their helium goodness, waiting for someone to buy them before the festival ends. Then there are the masks themselves in all shapes, sizes, and colors. People would come to Bacolod and buy these festival masks replete with feathers in all colors of the rainbow. Big masks, small masks. You name it and you’d find street vendors strewn on the streets, selling these festival favorites.

Chicken Inasal in the Festival

One of the mainstays during Masskara Festival (and pretty much all-year round) is the renowned chicken inasal. They have a running joke in Bacolod that everything is so sweet you’re likely to develop diabetes. Kidding aside, the chicken inasal is popular because of its special flavor. It is a unique blend of sweetness and saltiness, which is more than we can say about 2020.

Authentic Bacolod chicken inasal is nothing like that commercial one that has mushroomed nationwide. No offense. That’s delicious too, but the original ones are gritty and down-to-earth made in the kitchens of local home cooks from the freshest spices and local chicken stock. There’s also something earthy about eating the chicken inasal meal with your bare (of course, washed) hands.

First, you break down your cup of rice and let the heat dissipate a bit. Then you sprinkle some chicken oil and fried garlic on your rice and mix thoroughly. After which, you squish them together and stuff them in your mouth with a piece of the chicken inasal, close your eyes and savor the taste. Pure chicken heaven!

The Best Time to Experience All This

Normally, the best time to experience Bacolod is in October during the Masskara Festival monthlong festivities. However, this year the answer is quite different as the pandemic canceled pretty much all our happy and fun public activities. Thus, the best time to experience all this is when the pandemic ends. When we are all back to normal, venture a trip to the City of Smiles.

Bacolod is the perfect blend of the idyllic provincial life and urban living. The city has kept a little bit of the lowkey, simple life, while still keeping abreast with contemporary developments in technology and architecture. One can see immediately that the city has all the amenities a city person needs, but also has some of the charm of a small town left over.

For instance, one of the best things about the city is the skyline. Though it is marked by contemporary buildings, the sky is not blocked out by high-rise structures. You could still see the blue horizon, fleeting clouds, and sunsets infused with pinks and oranges. And there is also the matter of green fields that remain alive in small patches across the city, dotted with trees and small plants.

What it’s Like in the City of Smiles

Clear skies make for a mellow life. The weather in Bacolod City is as tender as its peoples’ smiles. Of course, like the rest of the Philippines, it only has two seasons, dry and wet. However, what is great about the city is that Mount Kanlaon, approximately 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Bacolod, usually provides protection against strong typhoons. The Philippines is ravaged by several typhoons yearly, but Bacolod City has been spared from the worst of their effects, probably owing to Mount Kanlaon’s coverage to the east.

When it’s the dry season, things could get hot in the city and sometimes humid as well. However, there are also as many places where you could buy beverages in the form of fresh coconut juice or gulaman. You could also buy some snacks to boot.

When it’s the cool season, you’d likely want to buy yourself a cup of coffee from the local artisanal shops that rival international names just fine. The local coffee shops also serve desserts to balance out the bitter taste of coffee.

One of the best things to pair with coffee on a cold day is napoleones—a dessert with two flaky layers frosted with sugar and sandwiching a rich, sweet custard. Bite into it and the creamy custard filling oozes out into your mouth. Consummate your mirth with a sip of coffee, close your eyes, and enjoy the bitter tempering the sweet. Your cold, cloud-covered day is sure to be a little warmer and brighter than before.

Your Next Destination

Why should Bacolod be your next destination? All the daydreaming of the different festivals notwithstanding, you could pick Bacolod City as your next vacation spot. When the pandemic ends, book a ticket to the City of Smiles to taste and see the land that was built on sugar.

It might be 2021 when you could come and visit at the earliest, but you could always plan your trip early. There is so much more to it, of course, but the Masskara Festival, chicken inasal, mild weather, and the food culture should be enough to give you a get-go. See you soon!