Pavia,
Iloilo annually celebrates their friendship with carabaos (Asian water buffalo)
every May 3rd.
Beginning
in 1971, this festival has an obvious cultural significance. The people of
Pavia welcome their guests and visitors to the celebration with a grand carroza
parade from Barangay Ungka-I to Pavia National High School.
Eighteen
barangays are well-represented, each with gaily-decorated carrozas filled with
the barangay’s farm produce or main backyard industry. The barangay muse in a
typical baro’t-saya serves as the carroza’s centrepiece and competes for the
festivals fairest, the Festival Queen Search on the eve of the parade day. It
was in May 3, 1975 that the festival had their queen, Lourdes Golez de Asis.
 |
| the first Carabao-Carroza Festival Queen, Lourdes Golez de Asis, my aunt |
During
the annual parade, some carabaos don creative costumes or colourfully painted
all over. The event is highlighted by the friendly carabao race.
The
carabao has been every farmers’ constant companion and it has taken a great
role in shaping our local history. Popularly known as the national animal of
the Philippines, carabaos symbolizes, strength, power, efficiency, perseverance
and most of all, hard-work. They are the
alternative to a tractor or to a machine-powered plow that is why they are
considered the farmer’s bestfriend.
The
Agro-iIdustrial town of Pavia is located 9.6 kilometers or a 25-minute drive
north of Iloilo City. The town is politically subdivided into 18 barangays and
is known to be the smallest in the whole province in terms of land area. Pavia
is bordered by the municipalities of Oton, San Miguel, Sta. Barbara, Leganes
and Iloilo City. For more information, please contact, Mrs. Susan Jovero –
Municipal Tourism Officer at 09173006041.
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