Click image to enlarge.
Click image to enlarge.
This is the typical setting for a fiesta. A bottle of San Miguel gin, one glass, cold water to wash down the gin, cigarettes, some pulutan (finger food) and a group of barkada (friends).
Even total stangers (like me) are always invited to join the fun.
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and... some might end drinking too much.
Click image to enlarge.
Click image to enlarge.
The fiesta is essentially thanksgiving: to the patron saint for intercession, to friends and neighbors for help and support through the year, and to God and nature for bounty and survival.
This is how I interpret what is happening here (please correct me if I am wrong). Some prominent families throw candies, cookies, shirts, bags and even camera's to the people in the street. During fiesta time people share their food and distribute a bit of their wealth with their townspeople.
Click image to enlarge.
Click image to enlarge.
This year, due to lack of money, the annual fluvial procession was reduced to a few boats and the raft carrying a giant crocodile.
The patroness of Barangay Kalawaan is St. Martha, considered the patron of cooks & washerwomen. For local people she is the patroness of duck-raisers. The fluvial procession is conducted with a pagoda carrying the image of Santa Martha stepping upon a crocodile. Her banca pulls another with a gigantic crocodile. On top of the crocodile is a bayani (hero) dancing while holding a bolo (sword).
Legend has it that it was Santa Martha who was dancing on top of the crocodile.
The original god of the river is the buwaya (crocodile) and he was worshiped by the native people. When the Spanish friars arrived they corrupted his image as a demon and replaced the crocodile with Catholic Saints (San Nicolas of Tolentino and St. Martha).
A lot of legends exists about the buwaya. One of the most famous is the story about the buwayang bato (stone crocodile).
There was once a rich Chinese merchant who was a non-believer in the Roman Catholic god. He was unmindful of the many precautions and rituals of courtesy the local folks observed regarding the crocodile, for he claimed not to be afraid of crocodiles. One day, while he was plying his wares along this part of the river, a big crocodile suddenly appeared, swimming its way towards the boat of the Chinese. In great panic for his life, the Chinese hastly mumbled the name of San Nicolas, imploring the saint to rescue him from the approaching danger. The saint manifested a miracle for this Chinese unbeliever, for the crocodile was frozen and turned into stone. Out of gratitude, the Chinese merchant had a church dedicated to his savior, San Nicolas de Tolentino, along the river, near the site of his rescue.
Some kids climb on the lamp posts before they jump into the river.
