Pahiyas Festival fun and food

A nostalgic journey through Lucban's vibrant Pahiyas Festival a celebration of heritage, harvest, and home-cooked traditions

- TIMPLA'T TIKIM SOL VANZI

he Los Indios Bravos motley gang of artists, activists, designers, and musicians will always remember Adrian Cristobal as the Lucban native who never forgot his roots. In the late 1960s, when he was one of the brilliant writers of the besieged administration, he always took time out to promote his hometown's unique tradition-the Pahiyas Festival in honor of San Isidro Labrador.

With poet Virgie Moreno herding the brood, we traveled to Lucban from Malate at the break of dawn, still wear-ing yesterday's clothes and sipping the last of last night's beer. Jun Lansang recited his new poems, and we all sang popular country songs with whichev-er folk singer we picked up from Los Indios Bravos.

The 117-kilometer ride took hours on the old asphalted national road. The bumpy, uncomfortable four-hour journey made sleep possible only for the very drunk. Fortunately, Adrian provided us with an air-conditioned tourist bus, which made the ordeal bearable.

Heritage town

As our bus entered the town, we felt that time had stood still. There, before us, was the moss-covered Saint Louis Bishop Parish Church, also known as the San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Parish Church, originally built in 1738. Though it is the proposed Diocesan Shrine of San Isidro Labrador, it is commonly known as Lucban Church.