A trip to see the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon

The annual Pahiyas Festival is perhaps one of the most popular feasts in Lucban, Quezon.

At first glance, the Pahiyas Festival may seem like your ordinary fiesta, but the celebration is truly replete of tradition that the people of Quezon are mighty proud of.

From the “kiping,” to the parade, to the “agawan,” the Pahiyas Festival is a tradition so deeply ingrained to Quezon town folks that it has lasted the test of time.

The harvest festival held every May, only becomes more colorful and more festive year after year.

We went to Pahiyas Festival aboard one day, and although our rented van was a bit cramped, the 4-hour trip to Lucban was worth it

It is not often that one can go to an age-old celebration that attracts a wide variety of visitors from foreign and local tourists to locals living in nearby towns.

It seems the Pahiyas Festival is reflective of that long gone era of community bonding and unity in commemorating the town patron saint.

Streets are often closed for the P that the

It is reflective of what a true Filipino tradition embodies which has become rare in this day and age. I would not mind getting back to Lucban and seeing the Pahiyas again.

Papa's dogs: Scotty and Blacky

Scotty and Blacky

Scotty and Blacky are probably two of the nicest dogs you’ll ever see. The two dogs are our resident ‘guard dogs’ in a modest ‘farm’ in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija where my parents now spend most of their time.

Scotty and Blacky are very much part of the family. Their master is my dad. Scotty is massive next to Blacky, probably because Scotty is part Labrador and part Retriever. Blacky on the other hand, is half Labrador and half Pinoy dog (read: askal).

Old and young

Blacky is now 6 years old, pretty old for a dog, while Scotty is a springy 9 month old puppy. At first, Blacky wasn’t too thrilled to find a dark brown dog being introduced in the farm. Blacky even tried-and succeeded—in physically imposing his natural instinct to let the other dog know that Blacky is the alpha male in the farm.

After a few weeks however, and with Scotty’s willingness to ‘bow’ to Blacky, the two dogs now happily share the guarding chores in the farm, although the two dogs rarely do ‘guarding’ because of their friendly disposition.

However, the sheer size of Scotty, and the respectable growl of Blacky seem to serve the purpose of intimidating neighbors and strangers passing by the gate of the farm.

Leader of the pack

My dad would often go out on walks every morning, and on his side are two loyal, albeit hyper-active dogs. Dad would often lead his ‘pack’ outside the farm and into a dirt road. The road is unpaved and is surrounded by rice fields and a small river.

My dad and his ‘pack’ would often go out on walks very early while the morning dew still glisten from the rays of a rising sun.

Before breakfast, the pack would be back in the farm.

The farm in Sta. Rosa

Our modest 600-square-meter farm is in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, a good 2 hours and 30 minutes away from Manila. This is where we go on vacation especially during summer and whenever we need a temporary respite from work.

During the start of the summer, the branches of the mango trees will be heavy with fruits although it will take a few more weeks before we can enjoy the sweet fruits. The guava trees will be full of guava fruits, and the macopa will be decorated with small, pink and dark red fruits. These are just a few of the fruit trees at the farm.

Scotty and Blacky, as well as chickens and ducks, would often rest under the shade of these fruits trees.

My parents and I would often sit on a long wooden stool under one of the mango trees and enjoy a cup of hot coffee while letting time pass by slowly.

Perhaps the humble farm serves the same purpose for me. Whenever I need to take a short rest from work and avoid the stress of living in a fast-paced city, the farm will always be there.

Surfing in San Juan, La Union

It may not be as high-profile as Siargao, but San Juan in Urbiztondo, La Union is steadily becoming a surfer's paradise.

The rates are pretty reasonable and the surfing instructors are very friendly. The waves are about 4- to 5-foot high and the swells are relatively mild.

Funny though is that I was not even able to surf the San Juan surf.

It was a family trip, and the very first time that I'll be introducing my then 14-year-old son to surfing. The plan was for me to encourage him to try something new, beyond video games and basketball.

I was beside him while the surfing instructor gave him the basics. And yes, being a doting dad, I was pretty nervous. Can he handle the waves? Can he stay upright and not crash? Will he enjoy the experience?

After a few minutes, my son was ready to go. I saw excitement in the eyes of my boy as he started making his way to beach, with the surfing instructor tagging along. His deceptively reed-thin frame look even more frail as he wore the rash guard, a kind of surfer's garment meant to protect his torso from the surfboard.

I always knew my son was athletic, despite his seemingly frail frame. But seeing him go and ride the wave--at his very first try--made his dad proud.

The hour whizzed by and before I knew it, the surfing was over. But for my son, it was just the beginning.