rodeo
In all fronts of national life this year seems to be an exciting one for the Philippines. In politics the call for a government of national unity is seen as a step forward to focus on good governance. In economics the administrations shift from a macroeconomics policy to the microeconomics side is a welcome boost to the small and medium enterprises. In peace and order the continued military support that the US is extending has helped in combating insurgency and thwarting terrorist buildup.The tourism sector greatly benefits from these positive developments. With bitter politicking getting the thumbsdown local government units can concentrate on working on resources to enhance tourism in their respective jurisdictions. The focus on small and medium enterprises will create more entrepreneurial activities for lowincome families living in hightourist traffic areas. A peaceful and orderly society is always conducive to attracting more tourists who wont have to worry about kidnappings and bomb threats.With a reinvigorated Philippines in 2003 Filipinos and foreign visitors alike can look forward to a fantastic year. The archipelagic nation has an amusing concoction of festivals celebrations and parties in all its 7107 islands that an article in an international publication called the Philippines a one big carnival of sorts. A revelry of merrymakingIndeed the calendar of Philippine festivities is an exhilarating collection of revelries and special events. Every month offers various celebrations on every town and city. And the myriad of activities available is an eclectic array: from aweinspiring fluvial processions and grand street merrymakings to thrilling whale shark watching and trekking along majestic countryscapes.The Filipino penchance for the grand and the colourful may have been due to the intermingling of lively pagan rituals and fiery Spanish customs. This can be seen in festivals like the AtiAtihan whose variants are scattered all over the country. Last month Aklanons staged their annual AtiAtihan known the world over. Its a celebration in honour of Sto. Nio in which people in black paint and colourful costumes take it to the streets and dance uninhibitedly to the drum beats. Festivals dedicated to the boy Jesus is common throughout the country like the Sinulog in Cebu also held every January and the Sto. Nio Festival in Hagonoy Bulacan on the third week of February. Other similar festivals which feature colorful masks and dancing are the Pintados Festival in Tacloban City Leyte held every June and the Masskara Festival of Bacolod held every October.The grotesque and the holyAs a largely Catholic country religious celebrations no doubt make up more than half of all festivals with the many town fiestas usually centered on a patron saint. But people from all faiths can enjoy these events as most activities tend to have nonsectarian color like the traditional palo sebo in which a tall bamboo pole is greased up and boys attempt to climb up to reach for the prize money. And foreigners have been known to troop to the banks of Naga river in Bicol to witness the maddening crowd participating in the fluvial parade of Our Lady of Peafrancia held every September.Of course the Semana Santa or Holy Week in April should not be forgotten. This weeklong commemoration of the passion and death of Jesus Christ culminating in the Senaculo at Good Friday is a major event in the country however sombre. Probably the most grotesque event is the procession in Pampanga where men walk under the scorching sun as they lash their bare backs with whips as a symbolic gesture for the atonement of their sins. The Moriones Festival in Marinduque province is an engaging reenactment of the story of Longinus. The entire towns of Boac Mogpog and Gasan are virtually converted into huge stages for the masked soldiers and colourfully garbed centurions. In Leyte native carabaos and horses are rounded up in a traditional joust called Turugpo ha Camansi held during Black Saturdays.Sizzling hot funEvents of a secular nature also abound. With the summer season just around the corner adventurers can expect some hardhitting and knucklebusting actions in major sports gatherings. On the second Sunday of March outriggers race across the strait between Iloilo and Guimaras Island. Called Paraw Regatta sailing enthusiasts and sports photographers witness colorful paraws fly above the waves. As an archipelago the country offers various water sports to local and foreign thrillseekers. Theres the White Water River Rafting Competition at the rapids of Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao held every third week of March and the Siargo International Surfing Cup at Siargo Island held every October. If a visitor gets tired of the water the mountains and the caves offer a different kind of high. The Mt. Apo EcoChallenge organized by the Department of Tourism Region 12 and held every October 23 is a rock climbing event at the countrys tallest peak. At Cagayan a Caving and Mountaineering Congress gathers trekkers every March to explore a few of the 300 cave systems in the area. In the windy fields of Cebu kite flyers display their gigantic masterpieces at the biggest competition called Bears in Flight sponsored by a multinational milk company. Outdoor lovers wont have difficulty looking for activities they can participate in during summer.Let mother nature bloomMay is probably the month with the most festivities. The perennial favorite is the Santacruzan celebrated throughout the country and the most popular is the starstudded one held at Intramuros Manila. The festival is a commemoration of the search of Emperor Constantine and his mother Queen Helena for the Holy Cross. Down south in Bicolandia Santacruzan parades are major attractions during the Magayon Festival of Albay Magayon is the Bikol word for beautiful.At this month too flower festivals are held left and right most of them coinciding with the Santacruzan making the entire occasion a truly colorful celebration like the Bulaklakan sa Gensan held at General Santos City in Southern Mindanao. Up north in Luzon is the Baguio Flower Festival that can rival event the grandest Parade of Roses at California. The Philippines being a tropical country is blessed with fertile soil and as such is home to a flourishing flora and fauna. And Filipinos also have festivals celebrating the abundance of Mother Nature which reflect their unique affinity with the treasures around them. Theres the Pineapple Festival at Daet Camarines Sur and the Mango Congress at Cebu and Guimaras. There are also a number of festivals centring on the versatile coconut like the Coconut Festival in San Pablo held every January. Other crops that are given special events are strawberries (Benquet) onion (Nueva Ecija) banana (Oriental Mindoro) and lanzones (Camiguin).