Bulacan celebrates Kneeling Carabao and Obando Fertility Rites festivals
CITY OF MALOLOS – This month of May, the Province of Bulacan will celebrate two of the most popular festivals in the country, the Kneeling Carabao and Obando Fertility Rites festivals.
The Kneeling Carabao Festival will be celebrated on the feast day of San Isidro Labrador, the farmer’s patron saint from May 14 to 15.
According to Sandy Santos, tourism officer of Pulilan, at 2 in the afternoon on May 14, all participants together with their carabaos are expected to gather at Brgy. Lumbac for the yearly grand parade of the kneeling carabaos, which is considered as the highlight of the festival.
From Brgy. Lumbac, they will parade and showcase their colorful floats, decorative carts with traditional dances and processions as they pass through the stretch of Poblacion, Paltao, up to Brgy. Cut-cot (Pulilan Public Market).
“The festival is celebrated as a tribute to the country’s national animal, the carabao or water buffalo, and in honor of the San Isidro Labrador,” the tourism officer added.
Aside from this, a three day fiesta celebration of the famous Obando Fertility Rites in honor of the patrons San Pascual, Baylon, Sta. Clara and Nuestra Señora de Salambao will be held on May 17 to 19.
According to Harold Raymundo, information officer of Obando, there will be a holy mass and procession on the first and second days of the festival at 8:00 am and a Grand Sagalahan involving Obandeños at 7 pm.
On May 19, there will be an awarding ceremony for the Natatanging Obandeños and the champions of the Palarong Pambayan held two weeks ago.
“This festival is where childless couples, maidens and bachelors looking for mates, thankful parents, grateful farmers and fishermen dance along the streets to pray for children and a good harvest,” Raymundo added.
Meanwhile, The Tahanan ng Kasaysayan at Kalinangan ng Baliwag was launched as an official tourist destination last May 6, 2016 at the Old Municipal Building, Baliwag, Bulacan.
Mayor Carol Dellosa of Baliwag kicked off the ceremony by discussing how the said old mansion turned into a tourist destination.
The mayor said that the first part or the exterior of the project has already been restored while the second part, which is the interior, will start soon.
According to Rosario Bautista, tourism officer of Baliwag, the museum is now open to public from 8 am to 5 pm, Mondays thru Fridays. No entrance fee to be collected.
Moreover, Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado said that celebrating festivals will help promote tourism in the province and even though it is meant to entertain people, it is also one way of expressing gratitude to God for all His blessings.