Pahiyas Festival, Lucban Quezon – A Travelogue for First Timers
The Pahiyas Festival is a bright and vibrant, week-long event in the town of Lucban, Quezon, Province. The town thrives on agriculture and celebrates the harvest once a year on May 15th. The festival commemorates the life of San Isidro Labrador or (Saint Isidore the Laborer).
San Isidro is the patron saint of famers. He lived in Madrid, Spain in the 12th century and was a farmer himself. He lived among the poorest of the poor in his community and is known for his acts of generosity for fellow laborers and to animals.
My friend and I had the chance to experience this amazing event last year. We were up by 4:00 in the morning as we knew we had to leave Manila really early. I’ve never been to Lucban, Quezon, I only knew according to google that it would take 3-4 hours to get there.
After a hurried breakfast, my friend and I walked toward the congested bus terminals on the corner of Buendia and Taft Avenue. It was almost 6:00 in the morning, the rush hour crowd was building up and immediately we hopped on the next bus bound for Sta. Cruz.
Halfway through the trip, I was beginning to feel numb from the airconditioning. My friend slept through most of the trip leaving me with no one to talk to so I amused myself by watching the vast rice fields and small towns along the way. An hour or so later, our bus arrived at Sta. Cruz, and we found our way toward the jeepney terminal in front of SM Mall.
An incredibly long queue welcomed us to our dismay, but determined to get to the festival, we queued in right away. After an hour standing in line, we got to board a jeepney and endured another hour of windy, bumpy travel on the super size jeepney that took us to the town of Lucban. All for the love of Pahiyas Festival.
We planned on a day trip, although looking back and considering the effort it took to get there, an overnight stay in town would have been more convenient albeit more costly.
Image of San Isidro Labradore (St. Isidore the Laborer), Patron Saint of the town of Lucban, Quezon
The streets of Lucban can become very crowded during the festivities.
this was taken during our walk to town a few kilometers from the town center.
The festival is a week-long event. During the main event on the 15th, roads may be closed.
Once we arrived in Lucban, our jeep could only take us to a certain point and we had to walk some 500 meters to the town center.
Moving deeper into the crowd, I finally caught sight of the colorful houses adorned with flowers and lined with all kinds of crops shaped into animals, hats or baskets. The main decorative material used is “Kiping,” and it is produced from rice paste.
I was impressed particularly by a house that displayed four giant sunflowers. The artists used a “bilao” and “banig” shaped into petals painted bright yellow and orange to frame the words “VIVA SAN ISIDRO LABRADOR, PAHIYAS FESTIVAL.”
A bilao is the Philippine version of a winnowing basket, and a banig is a woven sleeping mat made of pandan leaves or seagrass.
Mid May is the peak of summer and it wasn’t easy to course through the thick and busy crowds in the heat. We came across some street entertainment and bought some local food along the street markets.
I tried the famous “pancit habhab,” the town’s noodle specialty, although I didn’t feel it lived up to its reputation. It tasted just like any other Pancit dish in Manila, but since I got this one from a stack that appeared to be mass produced, it probably wasn’t the best in town.
Food is a big element of the festival and some residents open their homes and kitchens to visitors and neighbors. It’s a gesture of hospitality and generosity. Although it’s not done by all residents, you will likely chance upon a home that will open its doors to you. We were lucky enough to be welcomed into two homes of kind homeowners who served us delectable snacks and meals.
Aside from kiping all kinds of vegetables are used to adorn the homes.
The highlight of the festival is the awarding of the home with the best design. A mass is also held in honor of St. Isidore, this is followed by a parade showcasing floats made from crops, models in gowns embellished with crops and school bands wearing vegetable themed costumes.
We spent a long hot afternoon under the sun, not wasting a moment to immerse in the festivities.
By the end of the day, we were worn out but we had a superb time and it was well worth the effort to travel Lucban for this once a year festival.
Check out these Travel Guides for more info on the best things to do and places to see in Quezon province
The longganisa lucban is another local delicacy
Pancit hab hab, a local delicacy
The higantes (giants) are commonly paraded around the town during the anniversary.
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