2. Tinagba Festival, a secular event, is a pure tourist
attraction for both locals and international visitors
drawn from different parts of the world.
One of the most attractive festivals across the
Philippines, the festival constitutes the re-enactment of
an ancient traditional ritual that involved making
offerings of the land’s best produce. This was not just a
way of showing gratitude, it was also an elemental
practice that ensured the prosperity of the land.
Tinagba
Festival
3. Tinagba Festival is an annual event. It is held in February, in
Iriga City of Camarines Sur province. The main point of this
festival is for locals to offer their first harvest of the year, as a
celebration. This tradition has existed for many years – it is
because of this pagan ritual that this amazing event still exists
today. Tinagba Festival also coincides with Our Lady of Lourdes
feast, so there is still some religious significance to it.
But, the fact that this festival was a pagan ritual makes it
clearly distinct from the array of religious festivals that the
Philippines is best known for. The interesting thing is that. as
much as the ritual is pagan in origin, it is celebrated by locals
across the religious divide.
4. The roots of the festival actually
come from the earliest Bicolans,
who would offer their harvest to
the gods, as a way of thanking
them and asking for the next
harvest to be even more abundant.
5. But nowadays, that has drastically
changed to include the activities
we’re used to seeing in other
Filipino festivals, like street
dancing. beauty contests, parades,
and sports competitions. It is
actually impossible to talk about
the Tinagba Festivalwithout
making mention of the elaborate
parades that are characteristic of
this festival.
6. The locals bring out their best bull
carts and motorized floats which are
managed by men and women in
traditional regalia that is just as
colorful.
7. Traction
The demand for our kind of
experience is growing
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Tinagba Festivalincludes many other side
events, that you can participate in, or just observe. There’s the Extreme Bike
Challenge, suitable only for the most avid mountain bikers. The 30-kilometer race is a
thrilling event that anyone can participate in, as long as they register on time.
One thing that’s actually pretty great about this festival is that the activities change
from year to year. Apart from the street dancing and the float parade, the only thing
that’s become a staple in the last decade is the mountain biking race. All of the other
events differ from year to year, so you really can’t be sure what to expect. Some of the
events that were part of the festival in the last decade are beauty contests, film
showings, photography contests, talent festivals, fireworks displays, and many others.
In fact, in 2019, the festival also included an invitational billiard tournament, where
you got an opportunity to play with Iriga City’s mayor. The politicians and the
government are heavily involved in the festival, and just with the funding. They
organize some sort of conference for elementary and high school goers every year,
which aims to engage the youngest festival attendees and educate them even more on
current issues.
8. By bringing together locals from all walks of life, the festival lives up
to its hype as a unifying factor for Filipinos in showing gratitude.
The festive mood, the palpable joy as well as the warmth of the
exuberant locals makes this a delightful festival to attend. Yes, it’s an
incredibly fun festival, but there is so much more to it than just
colors, music and games.
The parade is a particularly memorable part of the festivals. The
locals come out on their motorized floats, which are abundantly
adorned with the best products the province has to offer. And with
marching bands providing the music, it’s incredibly hard to just
stand by and watch, and not join in the festivities.
9. The wonderful thing about this festival is that it is not just about
celebration and extreme sports. Raising awareness is also a very important
part of festivals, be it about breast cancer or environmental changes. The
2019 edition of the festival also included a blood drive, which is without a
doubt one of the best festival events to partake in.
Attending the Tinagba Festival is sure to give you a glimpse into the life of
the locals, as well as show you how the relation between traditional rituals
has been interspersed with the religious practices of a modern Catholic
community. It’s actually one of the greatest influences of Spanish
Colonization. You would see different large and monumental churches and
cathedrals such as Manila Cathedral, Paoay Church and so much more.
