EARLY BUSY DAY

After the rain fell at night, people were busy retouching the decorations in preparation for the day of festivity. Grand price winner is P 100,000.00 at stake for the winning house best in decorations... participants of the contest were doing their best to make their house colorful, of course by using  products from the farm, vegetables, rice and other useful materials would represents.

KIPINGS

It is a leaf shape wafer made of rice paste added with different colors. During Pahiyas festival people usually integrated this kipings for their house decoration to make it colorful with various shapes and sizes. Making of this Kipings is simply have traditional beliefs, to prevent kipings to crack, it should be observed total silence while mixing the rice paste.

PAHIYAS FESTIVAL

It is a display of good harvest decorated in their houses in honor to the Patron Saint of farmers San Isidro Labrador... During Pahiyas Festival different houses are competing to the best decorated and colorful houses using their bountiful products from the farm.

RICE FOR LIFE

Kipings made of rice paste are always the main attraction that always used to make their houses colorful, as this house was barely hand decorated with almost 80% from rice. Yearly the residents of Lucban were doing this Pahiyas festival as one of the most colorful festival in the Philippines honoring for their Saint of Farmers.

KAMAY NI HESUS

Kamay ni Hesus (Hand of Jesus) is a healing church located in Lucban, Quezon, one of the biggest images of Jesus Christ, upon reaching this statue up to the top you can go through the hill by passing 14 station of the cross. It is popular pilgrimage destination in Quezon particularly during Lenten. 

WELCOME

Every Filipino and other tourists are very welcome to visit as this Lucban celebrates Pahiyas Festival every 15th day of May of the year and one of the Philippines' colorful fiestas you can visit and experience. People here are very warmed in welcoming visitors and guests... If you have plan to visit lucban during fiesta make sure you have to booked a head of time as this place were visited by a thousand tourist from different places. 

THE CHURCH

The first church, built in 1595, was ruined in 1629. The second church was constructed between 1630 and 1640, but was seriously damaged by fire in 1733. The present church was completed in 1738 and the convent in 1743

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COLOR OF LIFE

Colorful as it is... Converting this pictures in HDR is simply defining and giving highlights for the beautiful colors of Pahiyas Festival only here to be found in Lucban, Quezon... Every 15th day of May, Lucban is celebrating their Festivity in commemoration and honoring their Patron Saint of farmers San Isidro Labrador. It is a one month celebration from May 1 to May 30...

     

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DILIGENT PEOPLE OF LUCBAN

A night before the big event people of Lucban were very busy decorating their houses to make it colorful to commemorate the Festivity of their Patron Saint. The Lucban Government in coordination with the Local Department of Tourism and with the help of NGO's raised the winning pot to P100,000.00 at stake for the winner of the Best Decorated house of Pahiyas

MEN vs WOMEN

Can't help to ignore this man to click some photos as he is doing the usual work done by a woman... Busy doing some arrangement of colorful and hand made flowers decoration. Best to offer for all guest and visitors who are interested to buy their products.

PRODUCTS TO OFFER

Longanisa here longanisa there... Obviously you can find a tasty food longanisa in Lucban, one of their special food products best to offer.

FAMOUS HAB-HAB

Now i understand why they called it Hab-hab... It is one way of eating pancit (cooked noodles) with out using any condiments, pancit is placed in a banana leaf serves as plate eating the pancit directly through it.

LONGANISA

A must to try food of Lucban... Anywhere in lucban you can see this street food grilled longanisa, taste is different from other longanisa products, it is more on garlic flavored sausage.

PILIPIT

When i was young i remembered my mother always cooked and prepared us tasty pilipit made from sticky rice, fried with a brown sugar... Well this pilipit is far different from the pilipit i usually ate, Lucban pilipit basically still made of sticky rice deep fried and covered with a crispy brown sugar but the add on is they put ground squash that makes the food yellow in color but very tasty and nutritious, i can't resist to try it.

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First thing in mind during my visit to my hometown is to take some photographs of the City, it was late at night already came from a tour and i decided to drop off to the Carlos P. Garcia park thinking some compositions which i had come up taking pictures of the land marks of the park...

Trivia:

General Santos City is Located in Region XI of southern Mindanao, at the southernmost tip of the archipelago, covers a total area of 536 sq. kilometers. Annual population growth rate is 5.1%, in 2000 population placed at 411,822. The entire region is a typhoon free it is covered by a surrounding of the vast mountain ranges, the climate will range from 21c on a cold month and 36c during hot, and 28c on average temperature. There is no specific official language as most of the people speak bilingual while cebuano is widely spoken, people may also conversant to English as this is also widely used in all schools, offices, establishments and public informations as medium conversation. Cultural and religious freedom on this region is recognized, while majority are Catholics, second Christian religions and Islam.

The City of General Santos (known as Dadiangás, and abbreviated G.S.C. or GenSan.;Cebuano: Dakbayan sa General Santos) is the southernmos port city of the Philippines. Being a highly urbanized first class city, GenSan is one of the most populous urban centers in the country with a population of 538,086 as per census data of 2010. The city is bounded by municipalities of Sarangani Province namely Alabel in the East of the city, and Maasim in the South. The city is likewise bounded by South Cotabato municipality of Polomolok and Sarangani Province municipality of Malungon the north, and the municipality of T'boli in the west of the city. General Santos City is the center of commerce, trade, and logistics of Region XII and the South Cotabato, Cotabato City,Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and General Santos City (SOCCSKSRAGEN) Growth area.Wikipedia

General Santos City celebrates the Kalilangan every month of February. "KALILANGAN" means festival, festivity or jubilation. It is a social gathering marked by exchanging of amenities among traditional leaders, elders, allies and subordinates in varying tones. In a broader perspective, Kalilangan projects a positive and dynamic meaning for it engulfs the artistic, humane and altruistic aspects of social interaction that takes place in any occasion or celebration. Kalilangan is a noble tradition. It is a complete work of art nourished and nurtured by rich cultural heritage that has withstand the test of time from generation to generation.Wikipedia

Gensan City Hall

I tried to capture nightscape of the city in a busy traffic, but it was late at night already my friend told me to shoot it from the Sydney Hotel's view, i have seen this pictures several times from other photographers, still temp to shoot also at the same view. But we ended up just shooting along the road.

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A HIDDEN NATURE OF GENSAN

I was able to visit the secluded Barangay Conel of General Santos City during my vacation to my hometown... I tried to reach this Barangay using our Honda 100cc motorcycle vehicle. Barangay Conel is located 15 kilometers from the town proper. During my stay in Gensan my wife called me and must try to visit the place that have falls and cave to explore... Instead of going to Maitum in Sarangani, I decided to packed my things and grabbed my camera then start to travel to Brgy. Conel under the scorching heat of the sun on that day... 

We under estimated the location, i thought the fore said falls and caves is just a minute distance away from our jump off point... What had happened to us were really an amazing adventure, we met our tour guide Toto Galngan a native of Gensan (Bla-an tribe) who leaves on that area, his father is one of the remaining chieftain MOKAM GALNGAN lumad datu of the Bla-an tribe, they are very accommodating people with his cousin Darwin San whom we rented his motorcycle going to the Klaja Cave and Masikong or 7 Falls. They told me that it's a 2 hours travel if we are to use motorcycle or 4 hours if we travel by foot... To make the story short, we use motorcycle traversing the moderate to heavy rocky road going to the area.

Klaja Eco-tourism Destination

This is situated 15 km to the northeast of General Santos City, at Barangay Conel. The Kalaja Karsts Land’s name is derived from “Kalaha” or frying pot because of the surrounding towers of  the karsts formation made millions of years ago. These karsts produce waterfalls and caves. Across this place is a camping ground. The place offers a wide view of Gensan, Sarangani Bay and some parts of South Cotabato and Sarangani Province. It is a large natural reserve that is a camper’s delight. One can also go climbing and hiking in this rugged environment. A day trip from Gensan is enough to see all that this beautiful place has to offer. World66

Overview:

"Safety Soundness"- Brgy. Conel is a peaceful Barangay, most of their tour guides are Brgy. workers and tanods and a very well trained in tour guiding. This eco-tourism destinations tour guiding is a livelihood program supported and spare headed by the local government tourism of Gensan City to support eco-tourism destinations of the said place...

Road going to Klaja cave and Masikong or 7 falls, by foot you can hike for about 4hrs. Up there you can go spelunking to the cave of Klaja or go bath to the cold and clear water of Masikong falls. You can pitch a tent on the camp site and spend for an over night adventure. Make sure you have to register in the Baragay hall and get a tour guide, there's a lot of trail going there and you might get lost.

Make sure to bring plenty of water during your hiking adventure, it is also advisable to wear sandals with strap, shoes won't work it might get wet and make's you uncomfortable to walk... Always follow what the guides tell you, natives (Bla-an tribe) are very knowledgeable to the trails, be a responsible adventurer to keep away from any danger.

THE ENTRANCE

This is how they discribed the entry point going to the Masikong (7 Falls), the opening is about 4 meters in width and a 10 meters height cliff walls on both sides that naturally carved by nature... It's about 5pm we reached this area, but we decided not to push through with our plan to continue going to Masikong Falls for fear that we can't be able to go back to the jump off point before dark, it was night fall already... I am so very Unfortunate I wasn't be able to see the pride of Brgy. Conel. 

Took some pictures of the entrance before going back, at first I thought this is a part of Masikong falls, this is just a welcome scene, it says WELCOME and there's a lot MORE! Some other time I will surely go back to this place.

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