MANILA, Philippines - There are two ways to discover the sights, sounds and taste of Quezon province during the summer break.
On May 15, experience the gaiety of the Pahiyas Festival in the town of Lucban. The daylong festival, one of the country’s top tourist draws, is deeply rooted in the traditional celebration of thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest in honor of the patron saint of farmers, St. Isidore the Laborer.
Delight in the visual feast of houses, decorated with leaf-shaped and multi-colored rice paste wafers called kiping along with fresh produce and flowers.
Shop for hand-painted bayong, artworks by local artists, and local handicrafts. Feast on local culinary delights such as the pancit habhab, the garlicky Lucban longganisa, pilipit made with sticky rice and squash deep-fried and coated with brown sugar, and many more.
Join the parade of carabaos in the afternoon where these beasts of burden draw carrozas festooned with agricultural produce and flowers, and are made to kneel once they pass in front of the town’s colonial church.
A second occasion is through a daylong pilgrimage with Fr. Nelson Osorio, OSJ, a beloved healing priest, as pilgrimage director on May 18.
The pilgrimage takes participants to the historic towns of Sariaya, Tayabas and Lucban. In Sariaya, confession will be heard by Osorio at the 18th-century Church of St. Francis of Assisi.
Venerate the miraculous image of the Crucified Christ of Burgos brought from Spain by galleon and is an object of pilgrimage every Friday. A running tour around the town square follows for a glimpse of Spanish-era ancestral houses and the Art-Deco town hall.
In Tayabas, a healing Mass, officiated by Osorio, will be held at the Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel, a national cultural treasure. The best preserved and the most beautifully decorated church complex in the province, the Neo-Classical styled Minor Basilica is also the longest Spanish colonial church (103 meters) in the country and one of the oldest.
In Lucban, Osorio will share the story of St. Isidore the Laborer whose venerated image is enshrined at the Church of St. Louis, Bishop of Toulouse. Time for pasalubong shopping will be extended during this stop.
For more details on the two tour options, call La Isla Pilipinas Tours Inc. at 926-0224 or 514-5714, Monday to Friday, during office hours, or 0917-8274518 and 0917-5270606. Limited seats are available.