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Just got home from the longest vacation I had in recent days. Almost 2 weeks and a half I stayed at my hometown, sweeping the said “festival season” of Iloilo City, starting from Dinagyang and all the way to Jaro Fiesta (although I really like to stay for the Paraw Regatta but well…priorities in the times of crisis). OK, lets just start it, I’ll be preparing a liturgy of Iloilo Dinagyang later so I’ll start with the latest…which is the Feast of Our Lady of Candles in the district of Jaro, Iloilo City which is dDubbed to be as the most opulent religious fiesta in Western Visayas.

Known for the flocking religious devotees, perdon sale, cock fighting, festive mood and the “market in the plaza,” it defeats the city’s premiere festival, the Dinagyang, in paralyzing traffic and setting a half day holiday for most offices in the city. This is the Ilonggo’s top religious feast, besting Dinagyang in terms of devotees. But hey, the feast starts several months before February 2, the feast day of Our Lady. The Jaro carnival and agro-industrial fair at the Plaza will start set up as early as Christmas. Talk about early preparation, hehe! But as pictures from the past suggest, this has been a tradition to most of Jaro townspeople during the feast. It is where people from different corners of Panay converge, showcase and sell their goods from Balasan’s famous bibingka (rice and coconut milk cake), ornamental plants and expensive earthenware. La Milagrosa The festivities center on veneration of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Candles, the patron saint of Western Visayas, and yes personally crowned by the late Pope John Paul II upon his visit in Iloilo in 1981.

The said image, which is located on a pedestal in the facade of the Cathedral, is said to be miraculously growing. A lot of stories and legends or kwentong bayan surround this image which is the center of veneration among most of Salognons (Jaro natives) and Ilonggos alike. Fiesta Bueno! The usual fiesta morning starts with series of mass dedicated to tha patroness and it will go on until night fall. Outside, devotees flock the image of the Candelaria while some are lining up to get a blessing from the laymen called palapak, wherein the small statue of the Virgin will be placed at the top of your head. On the feast day itself, just don’t expect any of those street dancing mardi-gras unlike in most of the Visayan festivities. This is in a good old school tradition of foot procession with the Jaro Queen, chosen from one of the rich families of Jaro (this year’s Jaro Queen hails from the Chan clan [of the singer-song writer Jose Mari Chan], Angelica Chan). Along with her princesses and the rest of Jaro residents, devotees and students mumbling and praying the rosary while making their way in the streets. And illustrious caros bringing the saintly statues along with the procession, of course in the last portion of the said line would be the Lady of Candles in all her full bloom caro. Solemnity amidst the frenzy of the festive day. Jaro Fiesta Queen But take note, the princesses and queens are eye-catchers. One would not look away with these girls as they wear expensive gowns of Filipiniana. Some say that it makes the streets of Jaro a fashion runway. A Child and the Jaro Perdon While making their way in the streets, the rest of the crowd, either frantically buy the last stock of perdon or blessed candles. Every year, they change colour, for this year its green. Bulangan Olympiad Another thing that is associated in Jaro’s feast is the grand old Filipino tradition of cock fighting…but guess what, these are not just any ordinary sabungan because the pusta or bet would run from a thousand to sometimes hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions. No folks, I’m not exagerrating. Its a known fact all over the region that the hacenderos of Negros, old rich families of Jaro like you know who and what and other affluent afficionados, go here to play a high-stake gamble that would bid Casino Royale byebye! Cockfghting aficionados from all over the region coverge in Iloilo Coliseum at Barangay San Isidro. The Tips to Commuters I’ll be writing this in my rough Hiligaynon (Ilonggo language) and later translate it to English:

• Kon piesta sang Jaro, kabalo man kita nga isiraduhan nila ang mga dalan pasulod kag pag-gwa sa Plaza Jaro kag sa mismo nga district proper sini. Kalabanan sa mga jeep, naga-divert sang ila nga ruta ukon manaog ka lang sa dapit Plaza Jaro.
• Indi parehas sang Dinagyang nga nagaselebrar matag-weekends, ang Pista Jaro magatupa ini sa Pebrero Dos, amo na kis-a weekday ang pista, laban-laban maga-half day ang pipila ka mga opisina sang gobyerno ukon mga pribadong kumpanya, depende sa ila nga desisyon.
• Kon magahalin kamo sa ciudad kag makadto kamo pa-Leganes, ginaabisuhan kamo nga magpanaog sa Desamparados, sa Huwebesan dason lakton nyo asta Tabuc Suba.
• Pirmi mag-halong sa mga kawatan. May mga tawo gid nga wala sing kunsensya…kaluluy-an sila!
• Pag-abot sang alas-kwatro, dira na magasugod ang prusisyon nga nagadugay sang isa ka oras ukon masobra pa. Dira na magasugod ang inyo nga marathon.
• Kag para sa naga-selebrar, enjoy kamo kag indi pagbutanga sing malain nga buot kon makigpyesta ka sa Jaro. Magsinadya kita!

For more pictures of the Feast of Our Lady of Candles, click here. Or, you may view it here: