2014 Ana Kalang Festival, Nagcarlan, Laguna

 

A celebration of fruits of labor. A celebration of nature’s gifts. A celebration of a town’s products. A celebration of a town’s origins. A myriad of reasons to celebrate in one place. We were fortunate enough to be in the town of Nagcarlan, Laguna on the last day of its annual Ana Kalang Festival. Its origin would be clearer to you, dear reader, as you read about it straight from the town administration’s descriptions. 

  

 

 

"Laguna’s First Non-religious Festival

Every third Wednesday of April to the ensuing Sunday, Nagcarlan throws its doors wide open for everyone to partake of all the mirth and excitement that come with the celebration of the Ana Kalang Festival.  It is during this time of the year when Nagcarlan showcases its unique folk arts whose leitmotif is the use of dried indigenous materials and displays its great potentials as the Vegetable Basket of Laguna, or even the Vegetable Bowl of Southern Tagalog.
...
Throughout the celebration, giant statues called kalang-kalang and replicas of old structures known as arko, all beautifully crafted from indigenous materials, are put on display around the municipal compound.  Every nook and corner is decorated with fresh farm produce, while the biggest hall of the Municipal Building is filled with a wide array of antique furnitures, images, and all sorts of precious wares borrowed from prominent families of the town.

Originally held in the first week of October to coincide with the peak of lanzones harvest, this 25-year old festival traces its beginnings in 1987 with the successful holding of the first Lanzones Festival, which was replicated in October 1988.  In 1989, however, the sudden drop in lanzones harvest necessitated the renaming of the celebration, and the organizers’ unanimous choice was Ana Kalang Festival – in honor of the woman who figures in the legend that tells how the town of Nagcarlan got its name.  Because October has become a stormy month in recent years, the local government, upon consultation with stakeholders, has decided since 2008 to move the celebration to April, when local fruits and vegetable are most abundant and weather conditions are most favorable."

 

- Source: http://nagcarlan.gov.ph/events/ana-kalang-festival

What makes the kalang-kalang and the town’s Presidencia replicas really good to look at is their artistic use of easily obtained natural materials. It’s a celebration that’s not so pompous yet maintains a festive atmosphere.
  

Leisurely Walk in Pila, Laguna

I will admit that I envy towns or cities that still preserve a portion of its past: be it structures, food, tradition, or even ambience. Pila, Laguna still has the last one. Although more famous for its well-preserved and well-maintained ancestral houses (which fortunately survived the last world war), the town is unique for that old times ‘feel’. The houses reinforce that feeling, add to that the silent watcher that is the town church. One brief rest at its center, at its town plaza would definitely remind you that it still good to have those things from the Spanish era. Despite the busy street on all sides (one being a main thoroughfare for both jeepneys and buses), the town center is surprisingly peaceful in general. Of course these are the views of a visitor and I hope such views can be maintained and be seen as well by the others.

 

On a different note, upon closer examination of the houses, one may want to make detailed study of their designs as well as treir similarities. I have come across a book in National Bookstore that  discusses house designs in the Philippines but then, ‘localized’ historical researches would not ne bad at all I believe.  For now, the aesthetic aspects of the Pila ancestral houses would suffice.

What remains to be seen and visited are: 1) the Pila Museum (‘di ko pa maabutang bukas), and the original location of the town.

  

Food for the Trails: Patio Sophia in Pila, Laguna

Food is ever present in travels and tours. And so if you are looking for some quick chow in Pila, Laguna, you may want to visit Patio Sophia. Situated just across the street from the Pila Church, the visitors are offered with food common to the Filipino palate. Yes, the usual stuff – pasta-based snacks and Filipino ulam – but the surrounding enables you to imagine a Spanish-era setting as you eat. One only has to look outside and see neighboring houses and stores. In our case we choose the favorites: baked macaroni topped with cheese and clubhouse. Pushed with cold drinks, and merienda time was well satisfied. 

 

Patio Sophia is located at number 30 Rizal Street, Barangay Santa Clara Norte, Pila, Laguna. You may contact them at these numbers: (049) 559-5032, 0932-8778783. You may also send them an e-mail to: patio_sophia@yahoo.com.ph

 

Revisiting Kamay ni Hesus in Lucban, Quezon

This revisit to Kamay ni Hesus in Lucban, Quezon was brief one, mainly to finally break the atmosphere of work and teaching that pervaded even our home. At the same time, it was good to have the chance to get the details of the activities of the church to be shared to would-be visitors.

Upon arriving, it was noticeable that many people were already visiting although the Holy Week for this year was several weeks away still. Avoiding the rush perhaps? More likely. Besides this, the food stores are big winners, particularly the ice cream stalls. Darn, the line was simply amazing. Although it was expected because of the percentage of children present brought along by their parents and relatives. Plus the fact that it was very hot. Aside from that, the area intended as play area for children got additional fixtures. A ‘replica’ of Noah’s Ark was still getting furnished.

 

The climb up the hill where a series of steps, scenes for the Stations of the Cross, and the huge image of the Risen Christ are placed is inevitable. We noticed visitors from the Southern Luzon area and even from Metro Manila, complete with pilgrimage shirts, and official cameramen. Having no sufficient background on the religious stuff pertaining to Cuaresma, I wondered why one has to count the steps found in the place. Also, although a mixture of elders and middle-aged individuals were seen and heard uttering prayers at every Station of the Cross, most of the people seemed more like tourists visiting a tourist spot, with all those non-stop photos ops and posses here and there. Again, religion and tour merge into a very blurred division line. But who am I to judge? After all, devotion or prater can be done in our own different ways.

  

As we reached the foot of the Risen Christ, I could not help but look into the general direction of the town proper of Lucban where a few weeks from now, the famous Pahiyas Festival is set to happen. Looking forward to another May, to another summer month full of festivities rooted on different Filipino traditions.
 

Leisurely Walk in Liliw, Laguna

Summer and afternoon combined together bring in a longing for the outdoors. In the absence of a suitable place to take a swim, a walk – as always – is the next best option. Liliw was chosen for potential slipper or shoes purchases (and indeed it was, although favorable only to ladies).

The main street for selling the famous tsinelas, Gat Tayaw Street, was filled with Sunday customers, most probably taking the free time to make purchases before going back to work. I noticed that the traffic enforcers have blocked the area to hinder vehicles to pass through the place and to give the visitors the freedom to go up and down the street.
  

The town proper is also is gearing up too for its coming annual festival. Posters of the Tsinelas Festival are already put up at different stores. One downside that I just noticed was the construction of a metal- and concrete-based structure in the area of what used to be a small park, adjacent to the town hall. Again, the people behind this construction may have their own motivations and reasons but the structure will project a different image from the otherwise still-rural setting of the town proper. We see here, yet again, a silent clash between modernization and old time atmosphere.
  

Walking through the other streets, it’s good to see that some of the ancestral houses are still being preserved, albeit at different levels. Some of them have designs that are worth noting for my dream bahay-na-bato.