SANGYAW FESTIVAL's Parade of Lights

Photo: Danica Canas

My daughter and I was all pumped up to watch the Parade of Lights yesterday. Who wouldn't? There was so much hype about it on TV plus Youtube video teasers of the floats were posted everywhere on FB. This is supposedly a first in Tacloban City-the city governments bid to outshine the Pintados Festival and create an identity of their own.

Photo: Danica Canas

On an interview with the local press, Councilor Kristina Romualdez said that there is no festival like the Sangyaw Festival's Parade of Lights. Brazilian music will also be played on every street corner so that all Taclobanons and Leytenos can dance to the parades beat. The float designer also bragged about the materials being shipped from abroad.(Support local please!) With all these expectations set, the Parade of Lights was the talk of the town.




There is little entertainment in Tacloban City. June is the only month of the year wherein this other wise sleepy town breathes to life. There are concerts to see every night. Tiangges to go to and buy random gewgaw. Amidst these are the colorful mylar balloons bobbing through the crowd and the occasional glow in the dark pulsating from a distance. June is truely a fun month in Tacloban.

Photo: Danica Canas

Yesterday was one such occasion. It was the most awaited Sangyaw Festival, second to the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival which is also celebrated on the same month. At three pm, the streets were slowly filling up with an eager crowd. Some brought their own chairs with them while others climbed the highest elevation they can reach. You can see families picnicking on top of their cars. With the heat and humidity, everyone was still excited and expectant.

Photo: Danica Canas

The councilor said that it will be like Disneyland. So I imagined humongous lighted floats with the Cirque du Soleil doing acrobats. I imagined dancers gyrating their hips to Latin beats like there is no tomorrow.
The parade was a hodgepodge of everything. Twenty floats was included. I saw a pagoda, a ship and a tank. Some fishes, an ugly duckling, a bee, caterpillar and a lost pawikan was included. The San Juanico Bridge looked beautiful. I wish they will deck the real San Juanico Bridge with Christmas Lights too one of these days.Now that would be a great sight to behold!

Photo: Danica Canas

There were lion dancers and women in cheogsam with glowing breasts. (Yes you read that right! Whoever have thought to place those lights in between mammary glands was genius!) The costumes varies. One common theme though was the hastily placed lights added to their outfit. It's as if they bought whatever light is available on the side walk and wore it just to have lights on their costumes.

There was the much heated debate on whether to let the Sto.Nino join the parade and where to put it. Originally, it was to be placed with the angel float. I was surprised to see it placed on the boats hull instead.

Photo: Danica Canas

A day after the parade, FB is teeming with rants and raves about the parade. Mostly rants anyways.This is what makes Tacloban and Leyte's political and social scene colorful. Some say the Petilla's Pintados Kasadyaan, had it been allowed to ply the streets of Tacloban would have been way much better. There is no doubt about this claim. Pintados-Kasadyaan has already made its mark on the countries tourism. Although, gone are the good old days where we would wear ratty clothes to watch the parade, armed with paint and always on guard for merry makers. It was fun being chased down a crowded street with a spray paint or riding a jeepney with a steady fear of a pint of paint being thrown at you.




Let's start our post mortem!

Photo: Danica Canas

Understandably, the Sangyaw Festival Parade of Lights is on its 4th year and like a preschooler, is still trying to find and establish its own identity. I guess, Pintados-Kasadyaan has first started out this way-unorganized. It didn't need a theme because the name of the festival already screams it. Pintados, the painted people of the Las Islas Pintados depicted and glorified in the Boxer Codex.

Photo: Danica Canas

The parade has lots of gaps sometimes lasting more than fifteen minutes or more;ergo, some of the crowd left thinking the parade was already over. The organizer should know better. 


I was part of the Leyte National High School's street dancing for the Pintados before. (Modesty aside, we won.) Sir Manog has always emphasized smiling and enthusiasm even if we were dancing for a mile under the heat of the sun. No complaints. Clearly, in this parade there was lack of gusto on the part of the dancers. Their performance lacks luster. What is their excuse? It was night time. They can't complain that they were already dehydrated and sunburned.

I would like to blame the music for their lack of energy. Had they used real instruments for their music like percussion's and drums, their performance might have been livelier and bouncier but the government chose to play the music from speakers blasted from every corner which the crowd ignored.


On previous parades, local students would be sent out to the streets to cordon off the people. There was no sight of them this time around. The crowd control was left only to a skinny number of police and TOMECO officers was outnumbered. Like all any parade, there was lots of pushing and shoving. The throng only parted a few centimeters to let the floats and dancers pass. I had many scares that Yumi might be pushed under a float or poked by the bamboo sticks used in the dancers costumes. This was the only source of adrenaline rush I had from this show.




It was an early Christmas for all of us indeed. The floats were as bland as a house bedecked with Christmas lights. Palo, Leyte in its full glory at Christmas is much more enchanting. Some say it was a procession and when someone says its a procession it is spelled as B-O-R-I-N-G.

Photo: Danica Canas

A friend,Don Poldo, asked me my opinion on the parade. It sent off warning bells. Here is a dissatisfied customer who traveled 2 hrs by bus from the community he worked in just to see the parade. I then proceeded to tell him the gist of this blog. Then, I asked him, "How about you?". He answered me with only one word, "Chaka!". Maybe because he was left unimpressed. I too was expecting more.

Next year I wish to see more rotary floats with not just Christmas lights on it. There are many alternatives. Why not try to use LED lights in synced to a certain music. They could have used fountains or slides. The Rose Bowl Parade and Bailes de Luces has lots of idea to teach the Parade of Lights.

EL wires, glow in the dark body paint and glow sticks could have been employed to jazz up their dreary garbs. Why hasn't anyone thought of donning up a costume like the ones used in Step Up or Bailes de Luces? They could have had fire poi dancing!

It is already cliche to say bigger and better. I wouldn't wish for next years parade to be bigger but I would surely want it to be better. The number of floats doesn't matter. What matters most is how you wowed the audience. Innovate and bank on your creativity.

Will they be going home raving about the Parade of Lights or will they be ranting about the Parade of Sighs?

P.S.
Kudos to the City government for making the parade still possible. Street parades has always been a tradition in June. It must have taken lots of money, time and planning.

What do you think about the parade?

Vamoose!

Ma.Diwata

Travelore: Mambanao, Burauen, Leyte

Just a few kilometres away from the sawang or center of Burauen, Leyte hides a sandy shore on a bank of a pristine river. This place is called Mambanao by the locals. Its crystal clear cool water, unpolluted by human wantonness is the perfect place to go to on a hot and humid day.

To get to this little piece of paradise, one must traverse through a trail frequently plied by horses with sacks of copras on their back. The trail is planked by the side of the mountain at the left with small springs bubbling at random crevices. At the right is a ravine that falls off to the river.

Getting to the sandy bank is about a ten minute hike. You will never lack conversation topics along the way. With its beautiful flora and fauna and colorful butterflies fluttering around, this is a piece of paradise that needs to be preserved. It is a wonder that only a few of the towns people know of this place.

Descending on the ravine, you can hear the strong rapids emitted by the two nearby waterfalls.

The sandy bar where most of the people like to picnic at offers a warm shade.

The view of the rest of the winding river from here is spectacular! Towering trees abound from both sides of the river bank on top of rock formations. Its just the rippling river, the green trees and the blue sky as far as the eye can see.

There is a rock formation here wherein you will see the "face of Mambanao".

This area offers a good vantage point to observe young boys scaling the rocks and diving through the deep part of the river.

The water near the sandy bank is shallow and calm. If your child is good at following instructions like mine, you can leave her at this side without any fear or worries.

Further on is a cave that I dare not explore.

Going the opposite direction, one needs to traverse through boulders of rocks to access the two waterfalls.

With perfect environmental factors, one can even witness a couple of rainbows dancing on the foot of these waterfalls.

I love this place totally. It reminds me of my childhood and how my lola would bring my brother and I to the riverside to wash our clothes. If you are in Burauen, this is a must see. You might want to bring your own rubber tube and instead of hiking back, ride a tube back down.

30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know By The Time She's 30

While pinning earlier, I came across 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know By The Time She's 30. It's a list written by Pamela Redmond Satran which was published in Glamour magazine. 

I'm still a long way off 30 but I am slowly going to that direction, no matter how I try to deny it. I would like to give my take on this article and read this when I am 30. Wait for my review then.

This is what the article says:

By 30, you should have ...

1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.

      Yes there is an old bf that I can imagine going back to but how far have I   come really? I have no real achievements to be proud of.

2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.

   No furniture bought yet so far.  No money to buy one either.

3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.

     I've become too fat to wear my little black dress. This just reminds me to hunt a new LBD asap.

4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.

     I got a knock-off purse, so I guess that doesn't count. Suitcases are not my kind of thing. I prefer backpacks. My umbrella is lighthearted and bubbly. I got it cheap and I'm not ashamed to carry it around.

5. A youth you’re content to move beyond.

  This I have to fulfill yet. Before I'm 30 I should get too drunk that I will puke and sleep on the street. I should experience bar hopping and an overnight camp out with friends. Go backpacking and live to tell my adventure.

6. A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.

  Someone is painting my present(which will be my future past) in colorful hues these days, therefore, juicy is not a problem.

7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age -- and some money set aside to help fund it.

   Yes I do realize that I might get old and penniless. And no, I don't have money set aside yet but like everyone else I have plans.

8. An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account -- all of which nobody has access to but you.

     I have email addresses which nobody knows the passwords and a bank account all to myself. What's a voice mailbox? It's in my phone but I never found the need to use it.

9. A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.

  Resume's should be one page only. There is no need to pad mine. I just use a bigger font size.

10. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.

    I found two supercalifragilisticexpealidicious friends who can make me laugh and cry at the same time. I am so lucky!

11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.

     What will I do with a screwdriver and a cordless drill? That's what boy friends are for. And the black lace bra? For private viewing only and it doesn't look nice under a white uniform.

12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.

     I can be ridiculous but no way will I buy something expensive when there are cheap alternatives elsewhere. 

13. The belief that you deserve it.

         Me gusta!

14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.

      Yes to skin regimen. I devised one this summer. I need an exercise routine though and the lack of it is showing in my mid section already. I'll just plan things as I go along. 

15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better.

    No solid starts yet as of the moment. I'm in a limbo. So far, everything is all messed up. Let's just pray that the unicorns will come and play with me soon.

By 30, you should know ...

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.

But isn't losing yourself part of the thrill of falling in love?

2. How you feel about having kids.

I have a kid and I know how it feels. I just need to go under the knife and have some random doctor knot off my fallopian tubes to avoid getting another one.Kids are not meant to be collected. I'm no Angelina Jolie.

3. How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.

Quiting a job is easy. Breaking up with a man is easier but confronting a friend without ruining the friendship can only be done with people who are openminded and lighthearted.Never ever do this with backstabbers!

4. When to try harder and when to walk away.

Experience is the greatest teacher. Sometimes, even if you try hard, you still need to walk away.Some things are just not worth the energy and heartache.

5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.

Simple. Do not kiss a guy if you don;t want things to happen. It's not complicated.

6. The names of the secretary of state, your great-grandmothers, and the best tailor in town.

Check.Check.Check. I just hope that memoriaing the past presidents will help me win the one million question in Who Wants To Be A Millionare?

7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.

This is a tough decision.

8. Where to go -- be it your best friend’s kitchen table or a yoga mat -- when your soul needs soothing.

Best friend is the best choice. I don't do yoga.

9. That you can’t change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents.

There is a surgical procedure in China where they intentionally break your legs to promote new growth of bones thus lengthening your legs in the process.It is an expensive and very painful process though that needs one year to complete the process and rehabilitation. I have no problem with my hips. My parents? 

10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.

And that you can always create better and greater childhood memories for your kids.

11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.

It all depends upon the circumstances.

12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or not flossing for very long.

Your health will come back to haunt you.

13. Who you can trust, who you can’t, and why you shouldn’t take it personally.

You can only trust yourself. You can't trust people who talk to you about other people. They will talk about you behind your back. If a person refuses to chose sides, they will be first one to desert you just to save their ass. 

14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.

Cheers!

15. Why they say life begins at 30

Tell me about this when I am 30 because I personally believe that life begins everyday.

Each of us has a different life story. This is what makes us unique and interesting. Our experiences shape us and mold us into better persons.

At times, you may feel like giving up, but then I wonder how my story will end. I would like to witness that without me messing up with fate.

Everything in life is uncertain. Keep your faith and be strong. Smile. Be grateful and thankful.

Breathe. Read a book.