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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Pahiyas Festival of Lucban Quezon


A display of various arresting colours designed like chandeliers made of leaf like materials called kipping decorated most of the façade of the houses.  Curiosity sank in when I saw throng of people walking on one direction. Even the day was filthy hot with no available shade of comfort we joined the throng and found ourselves bathed with various arresting colors.

Lucban celebrates the Pahiyas Festival every May 15 in honor of the patron saint of farmers,St. Isidore. This festival showcases a street of houses which are adorned with fruits, vegetables, agricultural products, handicrafts and kiping, a rice-made decoration, which afterwards can be eaten grilled or fried. The houses are judged and the best one is proclaimed the winner. (wikipedia)


Called longganisa in the Philippines, the sausages are flavoured with indigenous spices, with each region having its own specialty. Among others, Lucban is known for its garlicky longanizas (derecado)

The houses are judged and the best one is proclaimed the winner.


Every year, tourists roam the municipality to witness the decoration of houses.

This garden landed this house to third place. 




Kiping, a rice-made decoration, which afterwards can be eaten grilled or fried. 

Longganisa lucban is a garlicky slightly sour sausage that is quite similar to chorizo de bilbao, the famous garlic sausage from Spain.


Lucban is starting to get noticed because of their impressive hats. Visit Lucban and feel like Queen Elizabeth - no rush!


Speaking about the colorful houses, the usual decoration used of the Lucbanins is the brightly colored rice wafer, called kiping. Besides San Isidro Labrador – the patron of the farmers, Lucban Pahiyas is not Lucban Pahiyas without kiping. (wowquezon)

Making kiping is a time-consuming process. Its name came from “Kipi” or “Kinipi” which describes how laborious the process of making one. It undergoes many steps before it can be used as a decoration for the festival. (w0wquezon)

A replica of the Lucban Church made of coconut husks. 



Isidore was born to very poor parents in Madrid, about the year 1070. He was in the service of the wealthy Madrid landowner Juan de Vargas on a farm in the vicinity of Madrid. Juan de Vargas would later make him bailiff of his entire estate of Lower Caramanca

The townsfolk trot out their beloved gigantes or giants. Measuring about 14 feet tall, the giants come in pairs, the mag-asawa or couple, a giant man dressed in the peasant's camisa chino or undershirt, and his wife clad in the native patadyong and kimona, a loose skirt topped with a flimsy blouse. Made from papier mache, the giants are borne on shoulders by those who have made it, a panata is made in return for a favor received. 

Buddy's - Dito parang laging Fiesta!

This is the Lucban Church in Quezon, which is almost 400 years old. Said the inscription: ” The first church, built in 1595, was ruined in 1629. The second church was constructed between 1630 and 1640, but was seriously damaged by fire in 1733. The present church was completed in 1738 and the convent in 1743.”


THANK YOU LUCBAN FOR A COLORFUL AND WONDERFUL PAHIYAS EXPERIENCE.

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"There is no happiness for the person who does not travel. For Indra is the friend of the traveler, therefore wander!" by Brähmann On a personal note, I don't know Brahmann nor Indra, but the lines speak more than they are read. I gave birth to this travel blog, inspite of the fact that there are zillion of travel blogs out there, to share with you all that we can see the world without spending TOO MUCH. This is my Travel-budget-blog.

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