MAASIN FESTIVALS

MAASIN FESTIVALS

Since the time of our great-grandparents, fluvial procession or sakay-sakay has been a tradition every January as part of the festivities of the Holy Child Sto. Niño.  The Sinulog celebration in Cebu welded its influence to Maasin since the original Sto. Niño image was brought by Ferdinand Magellan as a gift to Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana.  The sinulog festivities spread to the different parts of the Visayas and the whole country, including Maasin.

Sinulog celebrations called Sinoog in Maasin at the start were only limited to drum beats and dances at the church premises.  Then families began to celebrate the occasion in their respective homes. Then clans organized panaaran or devotion to the Holy Child whom they believe to shower graces and blessings.

The Knighthawks organized street dancing contests along the streets of Maasin which culminate in dance presentations at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza.  But due to financial constraints it was stopped.  Without the Sinulog dance contests the fluvial processions continued to grace the seas of Maasin every third Sunday of the year.  It was the official church declared feast day for Senor Sto. Niño and no longer the original January 15. 

Then came the time when the city government revived the contests for Sakay-sakay with pumpboat and banca categories, icon decoration, and higante contests and later on street dancing presentations.

There was a time when Maasin became a new city and it sent contingents to the Cebu Sinulog Grand Parade.  That was during the Mardi Gras in 2001, 2002 and 2003.  However, there were clamors for improving the Sto. Niño festivities in Maasin rather than spending millions to Cebu City.  Thus the Sakay-sakay Festival was institutionalized as the premier religious festival in the city.  In fact, it is now the number one Holy Child Fluvial Festival in Region 8. 

Held every Charter Day and Fiesta Celebration, Pabulhon Festival showcases the agricultural and aqua-marine products of the different barangays in Maasin.  The term pabulhon comes from the original Maasinhon word bulhon meaning cooperation, volunteerism, unity and helping one another.  In Tagalog it means bayanihan.

The farmers of the olden times had no modern tractors or farm implements.  So they had to resort to grouping themselves and take turns in working as a cluster to ease up the effort in cleaning and planting in a member’s farm.  They did this until all the farms of the colleagues had been worked at. 

Thus the essence of the Pabulhon Festival is the teamwork done in promoting agri-aqua products.  During the fair, booths were being set up by cluster of barangays, they display their agricultural produce for viewing and selling.  There were contests on the biggest, longest, heaviest crops or fruits called pinaka contest.  To add color and glamor to the fair, garden shows are also set up to showcase the plant and flower industry of the city.

Usually the fair opens on the 9th of August or the day before the Charter Day Celebration at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza.  In 2008, the guest of honor in the first day was Senator Manny Villar.  In 2009, the ribbon was cut by no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during its opening.

On the 10th of August, the Pabulhon games are conducted in the afternoon.  It usually consists of coconut husking, abaca stripping, cooking, tuba drinking, regatta, piglet catching carabao racing, among other contests. It is participated in by farmers, fisherfolks, rural improvement club members and barangay officials.                

On the 14th of August, the awarding ceremony is held.  Contest winners of the Pabulhon Games are awarded usually with cash prizes.  Booth champions including the pinaka contest winners are also recognized.  The garden show winners are also identified.  

On the 15th of August, the feast day of Our Lady of Assumption, the Pabulhon Street Dancing entertains the thousands of visitors, pilgrims and tourists along the streets of the poblacion.  It culminates at the City Gym where they present their dance festivals.  All are considered winners as they were given uniform sums of money to finance their expenses. 

Every December, all the 70 barangays of Maasin participate in the Inter-Barangay Parol Festival which started in 2002.  Parol is the traditional Filipino symbol of the star of Bethlehem which shone brightly indicating the birth of the Messiah as promised by God to His chosen people.  The same star also guided the Three Wise Men in their search for the Baby Jesus.  The star actually was a comet.

Parols made up of native and indigenous materials are displayed every year at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza.  The contest officially begins on the first day of the Christmas novena every December 16, the start of the Misa de Gallo or midnight mass.  The festival ends up during the feast of the Senior Sto. Niño or the sinulog.  Cash prizes await the winners and all non-winners are also given consolation prizes.  

Different materials mostly local to the barangays like abaca, coconut, seashells, cogon, nipa, among others, were the stuff made to assemble the parol. The primary rule is that it must form an encircled five pointed star with a specified diameter.  And it should be lighted so as to be attractive during night time. 

Added attractions to the parols are the Christmas decorations of the trees at the plaza usually lighted by the commercial establishments and non-government organizations.  Then a Santa Claus effigy riding a mechanized moving sleigh attracts children from all parts of the city and the neighboring towns.  A belen or Christmas nativity scene is also assembled consisting of characters with moving parts. 

The Christmas parols, decors and figures all add gaiety and color to the most joyous time of the year in Maasin City.