The Pahiyas Festival, which is annually held every 15 th of May in the town of Lucban in Quezon Province, is dubbed as one of the Philippines’ biggest and most colorful harvest festivals. Like other such festivals, this honors the patron saint of farmers, San Isidro Labrador, as a form of thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest.
I have twice been to the Pahiyas, meaning “precious offering,” and all I can say is that to maximize the experience, visitors should already be in the vicinity or near the town before the festival proper due to the expected huge influx of tourists, humongous traffic, as well as the lack of parking. To avoid this “ordeal,” booking in nearby accommodations should have already been done several months prior to May 15.
Coming from Metro Manila, before arriving at our accommodation every May 14, we usually visit various tourist attractions along the way such as the Tanaw de Rizal Park, Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, and the Taytay Falls.
Roaming the town proper before the festival is a must especially for pasalubong shopping since there would still be a few visitors around the area as compared to when May 15 kicks in. The popular pasalubongs are the Pancit HabHab and the Lucban Longganiza. It would also be a great opportunity for photo enthusiasts to take shots in front of the various decorated homes due to the presences of fewer photobombers.
For 2024, as per Lucban Municipal Tourism, there were more than 600 participants in the house decoration category, with the top prize at P200,000.
As early as around 6:00 in the morning of May 15, all nearby roads leading towards the town are closed to motorists, which is why for those arriving on the festival day itself with vehicles, a parking area searching nightmare it would be.
Expect a lot of activities during the Pahiyas Festival proper such as processions, street dancing competitions, and a grand parade to complete the experience.
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