Quezon Province: Pahiyas Festival x Kamay ni Hesus
(Note: A photo-loaded post)
A week already passed and it was just yesterday that I got to post-process and write a bit. I went to Lucban, Quezon with my workmates for Pahiyas Festival last May 15th. It's one of the most famous and most visited festivals in the country and is known for its iconic aranya. Aranya is a three-layered chandelier made of kiping. The festival is being celebrated in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. When my workmate first mentioned it over lunch, I remembered how I first saw it printed on a calendar (I think it was Ajinomoto calendar lol) and how it caught my attention because of the colorful decorations and it looked really fun and festive.  |
Lucban is just 2 1/2 from Laguna. We rode a jeep from Carmona (Cavite) to Calamba (Laguna) and from there, we took a van that took us to Lucban. Direct trips from Cubao to Lucena is also available and you can just ride a jeepney from Lucena to Lucban. We arrived in Calamba at around 7 or 8 due to heavy traffic so I was a bit worried about the long line since it's the day of the celebration and it was expected that there'll be a lot of tourists. The queue was quite long when we got there but it moved faster due to the availability of vans/jeeps.
First stop was Lucban Church but we didn't attend the mass. There were make-shift shops or tiangges that sold random shenanigans and also food trucks. Fun fact: Lucban has no Jollibee or McDonalds because they like to promote the local food chains. It was packed with locals and tourists and it was very hot so we didn't get to see much of it. However, we tried kiping as it's also edible. It's made of rice flour and tasted like pinipig.
My workmate saw his friends while we were roaming around town and they invited us to hang out with them. We went to one of their friend's house to eat lunch (for free!) and we also went to another one later in the afternoon for meryenda. In Philippine festivals like this one, it's a tradition for people to prepare food and invite people over. It's a plus to know someone who lives there when you go because you can save money.
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KAMAY NI HESUS
We took a side trip to Kamay ni Hesus since it's also in the area. Kamay ni Hesus is a very popular place for devotees especially during Holy Week. You have to climb a mountain and visit all the stations. I am not the fittest human being so climbing stairs is my weakness. First station and I already want to go back but had to push. My shirt was drenched in sweat.
The peak of Mt. Banahaw should up when we were on the top.
Since none of us own a car, we had to commute to and fro. We had to walk from Kamay ni Hesus to the jeepney terminal but ended up sharing a tricycle because the line was really long. From the grand terminal in Lucena, we took a van to Sta. Rosa. We arrived at around 1 am and we had to take a jeep to Binan.
Tips:
Tips:
- Wear light and comfortable clothes. Shoes that won't hurt after walking a lot is also a must.
- Bring sweets and water, wear sunscreen, and umbrella. It was hot and humid when I went.
How to get there:
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