PINYA FESTIVAL

Photo from: dotpcvc.gov.ph

Calauan, a small, bustling town in Laguna, located 74 kilometers south of Manila is known for its prime agricultural product- pinya (pineapple). Claiming their local product is the sweetest in the Philippines, the town is trooped by people from near or far alike. It is just natural that their local officials create a festival using their most treasured possession.

Photo from: oneproudlaguna.com

The Pinya Festival started in May, 2003 as the highlight in the celebration of the town’s fiesta, the feast of San Isidro Labrador. The festivities include Trade Fair Exhibit, Nightly Cultural Presentations, Culinary Contest, Search for Binibining Calauan, Grand Float Parade and Mardigras Street Dancing.

Photo from: pinoy-culture.tumblr.com

Trade Fair Exhibit features the town’s local products, most of them products made out of pineapple such as delicacies and the pinya cloth- textile woven from pinya leaves and is the cloth used for the Philippine’s native attire, the barong. Nightly Cultural presentations showcase talents of the youth as they belted out songs and present dance numbers. The Culinary Contest is a cookfest wherein original recipes’ main ingredient is the pinya. The celebration will not be complete without the float parade, with beautiful floats representing each of the town’s barangay, and the much awaited Mardigras Street Dancing Competition with different schools competing with the students wearing colorful costumes. – msc.edu.ph

Photo from: aboutph.com