Pahiyas Festival: Fascinated With The Sundry Colors

Every May 15th, Lucban in Quezon province celebrates it's harvest festival known as "Pahiyas" to honor San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. It is the townsfolk's way of being grateful for a bountiful harvest which has become popular due to the residents' unique manner of celebrating the occasion. The facades of their houses were adorned and were beautifully decorated with their own crops and crafts. Consequently, the colorful display of these houses, the famous food products they are proud of (like the Lucban longganiza), the procession held in the afternoon, the numerous bazaars and the maddening crowd made this altogether an enjoyable and a wonderful event.

I was dreaming to be a spectator of the community's creativity for the longest time. Yesterday, even before the sun rose, we were on our way to Lucban to witness this spectacular merriment. As a night owl, I thought it would be impossible for me to wake up that early but the excitement and enthusiasm to witness something I do not see everyday compelled me to be awake at the sound of my alarm clock!


We were lucky to have seen these houses quite early in the morning because the crowd grew thicker towards the afternoon. My brother also used my disability to park conveniently. Otherwise, the long walk would be quite tiring but definitely fun as you meet eager visitors on the streets. Similarly the weather was cool because it rained sporadically.

We later went near the grounds of the church and the many bazaars situated around it. People were everywhere too! It was impossible to linger longer because the place was cramped. We had an early lunch at Abcede to taste the town's delicacy - grilled longganiza with spicy vinegar. I prefer it cooked this way which is less oily and the meat toasted. I bought Lucban longganiza from the same place for pasalubong. I also got several boxes of broas and some pieces of pianono from Pavino's.

Helpful Tips

1. Travel early and be there early to avoid the crowd. This way, you can enjoy taking photos of the creatively adorned houses with their harvests.

2. Wear comfortable clothes and a good pair of shoes.

3. Bring an umbrella. The weather is always unpredictable.

4. Remember to try their longganiza you can get from Abcede and from Eker and Ely. Prices are 75/small and 150/big for 12 pieces.

5. Abcede Restaurant, Illustrado's and Buddy's are some of the go-to restaurants. Pavino's bakery have affordable yet mouth-watering pastries you can bring home.