10 Things on what to expect when attending Fiesta in San Isidro.
1.It is a well-prepared event.
Town Fiesta is the most awaited part of the year rather than Christmas or any event. All the inhabitants are preparing the entire year just for this big happening. In fact the preparation starts right after the celebration of the preceding fiesta. Some saved money for it; some are nurturing livestock (e.g Pig, Cows, **Carabao and Chicken). And it’s funny because if you’ll meet Isidorian people in a random setting, they will already inform you or invite you to go to their houses on upcoming fiesta knowing that there are still remaining 12 months before the celebration.
2.The Government and The Church became ONE.
We all knew, the Philippine constitution emphasized-the Government and the Church are two separate entities. But in San Isidro during Fiesta, this rule will be voided. Both the church and the local government unit (LGU) became one in reaching a goal – to have an extremely vibrant FIESTA (whatever will happen) .The St. Isidore Parish Church will conduct a fund raising event for the fiesta and the LGU as well.
3.League of Basketball exists during Fiesta.
A month or two before the fiesta, each Barangay will organize their own basketball team headed by their ****Barangay Chairman and Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Group) to present their banner in a League of Basketball. It is already part of the Isidorian Culture. The said game usually runs in a month or two; whoever the team that will win in grand slam will be joining the championship round which usually happened during fiesta.
4.Disco in an open field is a MUST.
According to Isidorian, fiesta will be boring without disco. It is an event that an open party will be conducted in an open field like plaza or anything that can accommodate a massive crowd. With a minimal amount of entrance fee, you can indulge the provincial way of partying. Most of the crowd are coming from San Isidro itself, from other towns or from greater Manila area. The event will usually be held twice – besperas night and fiesta night; this is also a fund raising event for the town development.
5.PORK LECHON is a symbol of Abundance.
Pork Lechon during fiesta is very symbolic. Households who will prepare a Lechon are those who can only afford. Indeed, it associates of wealth. Some purchase Lechon from the stores in Tagbilaran but majority of the houses; they’ll roast their own nurtured pig as a sign of abundance. It is also a way of giving thanks to the whole year blessings.
6.A household without a single piece of pork during Fiesta will be cursed.
Yes, even those households that are belong in “below poverty line”; they will forcefully find ways just to have pork during fiesta. If you promised to slaughter your nurtured pig for the upcoming fiesta, make sure to fulfill it, because if not, it is believed that it brings you bad luck to your business or family on the next year.
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7.The SOCIO – concept.
If you’re not capable of having your own lechon or slaughtering your nurtured pig because of scarcity and you plan to sell it, that is still fine.
In San Isidro, a SOCIO exists. It is a Bayanihan style (cooperative) of certain organizations that collected a definite amount at the start of the year from the members; and lends it with corresponding interest rate. When fiesta comes, the earned money will be bought pigs, slaughtered and divided into how many members contributed at the start of the year. So it’s advisable to join a lot of socio groups especially if you don’t have a backyard piggery. SOCIO groups can be a faculty association, driver’s association, church association , market vendor association, carpenter’s association or you can even create your own SOCIO group as long as the money that are collected earn in 12 months.
8.BRING HOUSE practice.
“Bring House” is a practice during fiesta, wherein the “celebrating household” will provide giveaways to “visiting relatives and friends” from other places, to be brought to their houses. BRING HOUSE must be in a plastic bag and it can be uncooked pork or leftover foods (suman or bibingka) from the fiesta. In fact the “celebrating household” already anticipated and allocated a portion from the prepared foods for the “bring house”.
Indeed, it is somewhat a form of paying debt of gratitude because whenever you’ll attend a fiesta in another town, 100% you’ll be going back home with a plastic bag as well. However, you just have to return the favour when the fiesta comes in your own town.
When you attend a fiesta in San Isidro, be prepared to get drunk because when you visit innumerable houses, they will offer you a glass of coconut wine. Offering a glass of coco wine to the random visitors is a gesture of welcoming them inside your house even if you don’t know them at all. Indeed, accepting the glass when you’re a random visitor is a form of respect to the owner of the house.
My experience was ridiculous, I’ve visited innumerable relatives in one day and I have to drink one glass in each house. I wasn’t prepared for it and I was slowly become dizzy as the day started to end. I even broke my three-day old Samsung S8+ because of drunkenness.
10.Fascinated with visitors from Manila.
This culture, I can really understand why? If you’re coming back home to Bohol from Manila during fiesta, you’re treated like a celebrity. All their attention will be yours – both hospitality and gossip. In my experience when I went back home after 15 years to attend the fiesta, all of my relatives that I visited were happy to see me.
Indeed, they have this thinking “ Ang yaman mo na “, without their awareness that I also suffered scarcity here in Manila. If you are also coming from Manila, make sure to bring a symbolic pasalubong – BWESKIT.
Truly, Bohol culture is distinctive. There might some similarities to other provinces yet Province of Bohol is still a place that I find unique. That province might not that well-developed but I am not ashamed of it; without Bohol there will be no Tansyong living in Manila.
*Isidorian - Inhabitants in the town of San Isidro** Carabao - Water Buffalo***Tagay - Cheers , a gesture of giving a glass of wine to a guest.****Barangay - The smallest unit of Government.
