Tigkaralag of Pavia: An Ultimate Fright Night Celebration

Pavia, Iloilo has its own unique way of marking the spookiest of Halloween by annually celebrating the most important Halloween festival in Iloilo every 30th of October, Tigkaralag.

Tigkaralag is a “karay-a” or local dialect word that translates to season or time of souls specifically referring to the observance of the All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.

A firm fixture on the Ilonggo festival calendar, Tigkaralag is on its 29th year this year. The event was started in 1991 by then Pavia municipal councilor and later 2nd District Board Member Cecilia H. Capadosa.

Pavia transforms itself as the spookiest and most haunted municipality giving everyone shivers with its annual dance-drama competition, the highlight of the celebration. The frightfully fantastic dance-drama competition following the opening program at 7 p.m. is a frightful sight that gives spectators chills up their spine.

The performances showcase scary stories either based on personal experiences or passed on from generations through word of mouth. Of course, these stories would not be complete without supernatural beings. Some of them may be a myth, but some may be true. Only one thing is for sure: they make the performances totally exciting.

Most popular Halloween characters in the dance-drama presentations are the Aswangs, known to be  a vampire and a witch and are cannibals and can transform into an animal; Manananggal, a winged creature that separates its torso from its body and use the upper half to fly on top of thatched houses and prey on fetuses of pregnant women;  White Lady, a wandering spirit of a woman who died of injustice and seeks revenge for closure; Kapre depicted as a tall, dark, filthy giant who hides atop large trees and smoke a roll of tobacco and the Mangkukulam or a Bad Witch who possess supernatural powers and have the ability to cast evil spells to their enemies.

Tigkaralag is a celebration where families and relatives gather for a brief reunion to pray and honor the souls of their deceased relatives and includes offering flowers, lighting candles, leaving food and drinks or other offerings on their loved ones’ graves. The holiday is celebrated three days each year from October 31st for Halloween, November 1 for All Saints Day, and November 2 for All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead.

Invite your friends, family, and neighbors and have a ghoulishly good time celebrating Tigkaralag in Pavia and have the spookiest holiday of the year. Happy haunting!

The Agro-Industrial town of Pavia is situated 9.6 kilometers or a 25-minute drive north from the city. This Second-Class municipality is politically subdivided into 18 barangays occupying a land area of 3, 502 hectares. Pavia is bordered by the municipality of Oton on the south; San Miguel on the east; Sta. Barbara on the north; Leganes on the west and Iloilo City. 

Pavia is populated by 55, 603 Pavianhons (2015 Census on Population). Market day is every Wednesday. It annually celebrates its Religious Festival every 4th of May in honor is Sta. Monica. To get to Pavia, one can take a jeepney at Jaro Plaza, Iloilo City.

Cry of Jelicuon: An Enjoyable Way to Experience History First Hand

New Lucena, Iloilo has a historic spot that will let you relive some of the provinces’ most important Historical scenes. Pay homage to the valiant heroes who fought for our freedom by visiting Jelicuon on October 25 as the town commemorates the First Cry of Independence outside of Luzon through the re-enactment of the historic Cry of Jelicuon at 5 p.m. at the Municipal Auditorium.

The silent undertaking led by General Martin Delgado and his company of voluntarios swore the price of their lives to revolt against the Spanish government.

The Spanish colonial policy was designed not only to keep the Philippine archipelago under control but also to exploit her rich natural resources. The onerous system of taxation where Filipinos pay a tribute in recognition to the Spanish sovereignty; the arbitrary and unjust forced labor were all men, healthy and physically able and within the ages 16-60 to render service for forty days, and the monopolistic Galleon Trade and the stringent trade and agricultural policies brought a distorted and unbalanced Philippine economy.

With cruelties and injustices brought about by colonizers, series of revolts took place in different parts of the country.

In Iloilo, unknown to Spanish authorities, a secret group of Voluntarios coming from the different towns swore the price of their lives to revolt against the Spanish government. They were preparing to revolt under the leadership of General Martin Delgado, a native of Sta. Barbara. The general along with his voluntaries headed to Barrio Hilicuon situated at the boundary of the towns of Santa Barbara, Cabatuan and Lucena, where they gathered in an open field, took out their cedulas and with intense emotion tore them and tossed them to the air while uttering a thunderous “Long live independence!”

Historical re-enactments such as the Cry of Jelicuon provide an incredible window into how men and women lived in historical times, providing the community and sometimes the public, a glimpse into what life was like during the conflicts that shaped the town’s local history.

If you want to experience a beautiful piece of history in the town, do not forget that New Lucena also has a serene spot where you can escape the frenzy and stress of your daily city life, like Mila’s Hill Inland Resort.

The Fourth-Class municipality of New Lucena is a 45-minute jeepney ride from Ungka Transport Terminal (fronting Christ the King Memorial Park) in Barangay Ungka-II, Pavia, Iloilo. It has a land area of 4, 412 hectares that are politically subdivided into 21 barangays with a population of 23, 240 (2015 Census on Population).

The town shares border on the northeast with the municipality of Pototan; on the southeast with the municipality of Zarraga; on the southwest with the municipality of Sta. Barbara; and on the northwest with the municipality of Cabatuan and a little portion of the town of Mina.

The town proper of New Lucena could be traversed by land either way via Dawis-Zarraga or via Sta. Barbara. It is 9.8 kilometers away from Sta. Barbara, 15 kilometers away from Cabatuan, 6 kilometers away from Pototan, 6.6 kilometers away from Zarraga and 11 kilometers away from Mina. New Lucena is crisscrossed by the roads from the north to south and east to west thus providing roads for easy means of transportation.

For more information, please contact Kenneth Sobremisana – Municipal Tourism Officer at 09197856167.

Haw-as Festival: Sharing and Enjoying a Grand Feast in Dumangas

Dumangas, Iloilo has one of the largest concentration of production fishpond areas in the province. Popularly cultured in brackish-water fishponds include bangus or milkfish. Dumangas is both a producing and consuming town of milkfish that is why it is known to be the Bangus capital of the province. And it is not surprising that Dumangas celebrate its amazing bangus or milkfish industry and showcase the abundance of other fresh seafood through Haw-as Festival.

Haw-as Festival, an off-shoot of Pahaw-as Festival launched in 2002 was conceptualized in 2008 during the first term of Mayor Ronaldo Golez. A municipal declaration was made every October 25-31 as Municipal Culture and History Week giving importance to Dumangas’ culture including Haw-as Festival and honoring local hero Col. Quintin Salas.

The competing Gubans, made up of 4-6 barangays for each Guban, nine (9) district Gubans will be competing this year on its festival highlight on October 31 at 2 p.m.

Most of the performances are choreographed featuring episodes of abundant fishpond harvest as dancers, in their fishpond harvest traditional costumes, re-enact the harvest activities of these workers who are the backbone of the town’s economy. Other performers wear bangus costumes embellished with customary bright silvery sequences.

Scenes feature families or neighbors help in gathering the bangus using a seine net. Since Haw-as is annually observed as an expression of gratitude to God. It is an occasion to give thanks to God for nature’s bounty. Guaranteed a good harvest, dancers would gather together to pray. Lastly, scenes of a celebration where there are dancing and singing.

The Haw-as Festival experience would not be complete without a plethora of specialty foods, live entertainment and lots more. Come celebrate Dumangas’ culture in the week-long Haw-as Festival on October 26-31, 2019.  The Opening Day (Saturday) is set for a motorcade at 9 a.m., AVAC Exhibit, Haw-as Festival Grand Opening at 2 p.m., Street Dancing Competition at 3 p.m., Sugbahanay sa Plaza at 6:30 p.m., Awarding Ceremony of Street Dancing Competition at 8 p.m. and Nightly Band and Food Festival at 7:00 p.m.; October 27 (Sunday) opens with a Farmers and Fisherfolks Forum and Opening Exhibit of OTOP with Bangus Extravaganza – Cooking Contest at 8 a.m., WAFACON (Writers, Artists, Filmmakers, Artisans Convention at 1 p.m., 4th Sikpanay-actual Haw-as sa Punong at 3 p.m. and Nightly Band and Food Festival at 7 p.m.

October 28 (Monday) The Liberation of Dumangas – 119th Cry for Freedom and Liberty at 9 a.m., Col. Quintin Salas Composo and Binalybay Contests at 10 a.m., Golez-Biron Autoshow at 7 p.m., Haw-as Festival Queen Pre Pageant Night at 6 p.m. and Nightly Live Band and Food Festival at 7 p.m.; October 29 (Tuesday) Jobs Fair at 9 a.m., Concert at 7 p.m., Nightly Live Band and Food Festival at 7 p.m.; October 30 (Wednesday) features Laro Ng Lahi  and Educator’s Day in the morning and Haw-as Festival Queen Pageant Night at 7 p.m. alongside Live Band and Food Festival; October 31 (Thursday) Run for Col. Quintin Salas Marathon at 5 a.m., Commemoration Program for the 149th Birth Anniversary of Col. Quintin Salas at 8 a.m., Haw-as Festival Guban Competition at 2 p.m., Awarding of Prizes and Closing Program with Live Band and Food Festival at 7 p.m.

The bangus or milkfish has a bright silvery sheen, a small toothless mouth that can grow to over a meter long. The ones found in markets are generally small. It is an important aquaculture and commercial fish species vital in Dumangas’ economy as it provides food security and livelihood to many fisherfolks in the area.

Bring yourself to one of the most interesting celebrations in the Fourth Congressional District, Haw-as Festival and make it one memorable experience.

Dumangas is a 1st class municipality of the province situated in the northeastern side, 30 kilometers or an hour land trip from Iloilo city. It has a total land area of 11, 677 hectares politically subdivided into 45 barangays. The town is bounded on the north by Barotac Nuevo, on the south and east by Guimaras Strait; and on the west by the Pototan and Zarraga.

To get to Dumangas, one can travel taking the Monfort Coastal Boulevard route via an air-conditioned van at Tikod Terminal in Barangay Baldoza, La Paz, Iloilo City or please contact, Mr. Leonardo Quiatchon – Municipal Tourism Officer at telephone number (33) 3612400 or fax number (33) 3612884.

Celebrating Dingle’s Pagdihon: A Cultural and Historical Road Trip

Heading off to Dingle, Iloilo on an unforgettable adventure this semestral vacation is reason enough to celebrate, it would be wise to add its festival to your itinerary if you want to inject some cultural pizzazz to this journey. 

Pagdihon Festival is one of the provinces’ most inspiring cultural festivals taking place between October 25-31, 2019. The festival, the highlight of the Dingle’s cultural is about celebrating life. It offers its visitors a glimpse into the heart and soul of the historic town. It provides an interesting look at how Dingleanons embrace its colonial past in a celebratory way.

Adriano Hernandez, a native of Dingle is a Visayan general and military strategist who secretly organized a rebel movement in Iloilo against Spain and staged the first armed uprising in the whole province in Barrio Lincud in October 28, 1898. The General is the most revered local historical icon and the Pagdihon Festival honors him, the most elaborate event in the town’s local calendar with parades, music, dancing, and costumes are at the forefront of its week-long festivity, with an abundance of food and drinks. 

With this year’s theme, “Kulturang Dingleanon sa Pagdihon Aton Handurawon,” the festival, now on its 11^th year general revelry accompany the celebration with a series of events starting on October 25 (Friday) with One Dance One Music, Float Parade and Competition, Opening Program, Agricultural Fair, Miss Pagdihon and Foam Party; October 26 (Saturday) Street Dancing and Dance-Drama Competition, Invitational Sepak Takraw, Alcoholics Night; October 27 (Sunday) Fin Ride, Mountain Bike Competition, Senior Citizens Day, Invitational Sepak Takraw, Championship Basketball, Search for Miss Cosmetica.

October 28 (Monday) Cry of Lincud, Pagdihon Preggy Summit, Fireworks Display, Teacher’s Night, Live Band. October 29 (Tuesday) Farmers Coop Day, Laro ng Lahi, Cultural Show with the WVSU College of PESCAR, Live Band; October 30 (Wednesday) Mass Church Wedding, Moments with the Mayor, Live Band; October 31 (Thursday) Boy and Girl Scouts Day, Trick or Treat/ Parade of Costumes, Environmental Day Recognition of Stakeholders and Awardees, Horror Night Competition, Awarding, DJ Foam Party and Live Band.

Pagdihon Festival draws people from all over Iloilo to take in the beauty and culture of Dingle. Getting there is an excellent way to immerse yourself in nature and taking in local history. The town offers a plethora of cultural and historic ways to spend your time. Take one of the numerous trails for a hike through its national park before heading into the exciting historic attractions.

Dingle belongs to the Fourth Congressional District of the province and is politically subdivided into 33 barangays over a land area of 7, 750 hectares. It is 37 kilometers away or an hour drive from Iloilo City and is bounded on the northeast by Anilao; northwest by San Enrique; southeast by Pototan and Barotac Nuevo; and southwest by Duenas.

For more information, please contact, Dane Dizon – Municipal Tourism Officer at 09983091262.