By Saul Pa-a
SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna (PNA) -– This city’s “Best Tourism Event, Festival Category” hall of famer to be staged for its 19th Coconut Festival and Fair in January 2014 will feature a twin celebration as the now world renown tourism festival which coincides with the 418th founding anniversary of the Parish of Saint Paul the First Hermit.
San Pablo City Mayor Loreto S. Amante disclosed on Monday that the grand festival will feature the “Coconut Mardi Gras” or street dancing competition in January 13, which serves to kick-off the 19-year old festivities.
Since its launch as a grand tourism extravaganza on January 13, 1996, the city’s “Coconut Festival and Fair” has turned San Pablo City into a major tourist destination under the Programs of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and as a cultural activity recognized by the National Historical Institute.
Mayor Amante said city folks, constituents, laity and the faithfuls look forward to celebrating the more than four centuries since January 1596 when the city became the Diocesan seat of the Parish of Saint Paul for which the town was named after The First Hermit by the Augustinian friars.
“Walang pamayanang naging matatag at maunlad sa mga gawaing pangkabuhayan kung hindi ito pinagyaman ng kanilang katutubong sining at kultura,” Amante quoted.
(No community would have been strongly founded and become prosperous especially in economic activities if not for the nurture and enrichment by the native art and culture.)
He wanted a revival of sort for the festival and fair that trace roots of these cultural activities prevalent during the pre-war years when San Pableño tradition of hospitality and camaraderie welcomes everybody as their guests.
The city major also expected other activities, nightly cultural presentations and musical extravaganza and the “beer” plaza would continue to be supported and sponsored by various commercial corporations and the Office of the Laguna Provincial Governor.
Amante reported that for next year’s celebration, some of the activities will be held at the SM City San Pablo in Barangay San Rafael for the “beauty and bran” competitions such as the “2014 Lakan and Mutya Pageant,” including the children’s category of “Munting Lakan and Munting Mutya.”
Next year’s revelry also expects more music and live performances by various bands beside the traditionally famous “Mardi Gras Contest” and the nightly “Beer Plaza” at the SM Plaza with the main stage along J.P. Rizal Avenue here.
The annual “Mardi Gras” highlights the city’s largest public festival participated by students and special groups donned in attire crafted from coconut tree materials to showcase San Pablo’s age-old fame even during the pre-World War II years as the “Coconut Queen City of the Philippines.”
Amante assured to sustain the 19th Coconut Festival as a premier tourism and economic event when this was initiated by his father-predecessor Mayor Vicente B. Amante in 1996 to showcase the city’s agricultural, home industry and livelihood products.
Visitors, tourists and New Year holiday goers during that time could taste the delectable “buko” (young coco) pies and shop for various coconut-based crafts.
After the street dancing activities, visitors can retire at the beer plaza for the “bottomless” malt beer and join the lively celebration by eating, drinking and dancing to the musical performances by the various bands and musical groups on several stages to be put up by various commercial establishments next year for the bands.
Amante said that during the city’s olden times, town folks, friends and neighbors converged at the public plaza and fronting “sari-sari” stores following the religious “Orasyon” (Angelus) at dusk for the happy hours, drinking “cerveza” (beer) with “pulutan” (finger foods) and relaxation.
It was a precious time too as the elderly teacher Moises Belen here narrated for people – peasants, farmers, farm laborers, workers – shared and discussed then their agrarian problems and “copra” (dried coco meat) prices with the Franklin Baker Company then known as the “fabrica.”
According to Mayor “Amben,” the exhibits and sponsorship of shows and other activities will be open to all interested parties and lock-out sponsorship will not be allowed.