TIA: The Ibaan Fiesta Experience

Sun breaking our for Talaibon morning
parada.

When the last week of March went down the calendar, I was all too excited for summer vacation. It's not the sun and beaches that thrills me, but the 26 Ibaan fiestas which I bet are also listed in everyone's memory box. This is the time when Ibaenos from around the world come home to be with the family, ka-barangay, and old friends. Stories of one's adventure from somewhere are being packed in the bags, all set to have them shared with fellow Ibaenos. And for me, summer time will be the first time that I'll be covering every barangay's celebrations in honor of their patron saints and in honor of Virgin Mary.

However, even before barangays hang their banderitas, I got entangled already with my schedule. I was given two summer class subjects with freaking schedule. One scheduled at 9:30am to 11:30am, followed by 2:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday! There's nothing I can do about it. And if I complain or request for a change of schedule, I might not get any teaching load. And that's one of my greatest fear since that's where I get my money.  It's my bread and butter. That's my job.

Now I have to weight things between covering Ibaan fiestas and my job. Everything started with Ibaan Summer Basketball League. I have to dismiss my class as early as 4:00pm, then jump on my bike to run like a dog with mutilated tail just to catch up with the league's first game. And before I forgot, I can only stay up to 2nd half of the second game for I still have to be on my night radio program. Yes, as a sideline, I work also as a Disc Jock (DJ), Monday to Friday, 9:00pm to 12mn, at one of the FM radio stations in Batangas City. In the end, I was forced to file a leave of absence from my radio work.

A rain-soaked devotee in Salaban 1
carrying Mama Mary's image.

So from Ibaan, again, I go dusting the road back to Batangas City. Until the end of the league, the routine worked that way. And out of fatigue, most of the time, I fail to attend my first subject at 9:30am. I got a lot of memo for that. Not everyone knows about it. I find myself like a dead meat everytime I come to Faculty Office to explain my reasons for being absent. Of course, I can't say it's because of Ibaan basketball league. That won't stand in the court. In the end, I take the blame, writing different explanation letters for submission to Vice President for Academic Affairs.

By the end of summer league, my summer class also came to its conclusion. Shame on me for I was able to attend only 60% of my class. That resulted to depletion of my resources. But updating Taga Ibaan Ako Page has become an obligation and responsibility on my part. And it must go on. Ibaan barangay fiestas are just around the corner.

Lucsuhin prayer warriors.

The first attempt to cover the fiesta was a futile one. I was in Calamias, but failed to take photos. I don't have my camera that time. My cam was used for our magazine in Batangas City (another part-time job as editor-in-chief in Batangas City's local lifestyle magazine, but it's not that lucrative since it we release magazine on a bi-monthly basis and I get my share almost a month after the release). Then lately, I just a query posted at TIA Page wall, asking for Calamias fiesta photos. I was drowned by the question. I felt guilty. I just sent her personal message my reasons for my failure to cover the said barangay's fiesta.

Malainin devotees for Black Nazarene.

After Calamias, the road show went on. First week of May gave some breathing space. Barangay fiestas are somehow not rubbing elbows with each other. They are separated by couple of days. But by third week, that's when things made me a lunatic. There are instances when two or three barangays celebrate their fiesta at  the same date!

At one instance, there's Coliat (Spillway), Palindan, and Malainin having their procession at the same time. It was like I'm in the middle of a motocross competition where I have to beat time and be there to be able to take photos of all of them. Fortunately, God gave me enough time to accomplish the task.

Thee crosses in the sun leading
the Talaibon prusisyon.

Now, others would notice. While some barangays are loaded with photos, others only got a handful of images of their prusisyon/sagala. Please allow me to explain. With barangays having their prusisyon/sagala at the same time, mostly either at 4:00pm or 5:00pm, I would go to one barangay, then hit the road for another, and then another. I could hardly stay that long in one barangay since I still have to be at another. The last stop barangay, luckily, will have the most photos. And when the smoke gets down, that's only when I get to eat. That is, if I get to see someone I know and have me invited. If there's no one there to invite me for something, I go down town to have some lomi instead. After which, I paint the road back to Batangas City to become lunatic again for the nth time.

Returning home, I stay late like an owl with eyes wide open until the break of dawn. I don't have the luxury of a fast running internet connection. I only use broadband, a turtle-like one. Uploading hundreds of photos while smoking cigs with cups of coffee just pushed me years older. Photos have to be uploaded. I can't keep them in my hard disc. It's getting low in memory already. For the following day, I'll have hundreds photos again.

Catandala's epitome of beauty.

I myself broke down a couple of times. There are times when I have to drown myself on my bed with my mind wandering out of my skull. I felt like a hooligan with no where to run but to my bed out of fatigue and dehydration. I need to recover once in a while. But despite it all, I have to say I was glad to have done all those things. For there are number of details and trivia that I've learned about different barangays. Altough I am a legitimate Ibaeno, it remains a wonder for me to understand some of the culture that we have in Ibaan.

One of the beautiful sagalas in Ibaan fiestas.

For one, had I not tried covering Salaban 1 fiesta, I would not know that there used to be one Salaban consisting of Salaban 1 and Salaban 2. Based on the what I was told some people I've talked with, there used to be only one chapel in the barangay, the one located in Salaban 1. The other end of the barangay, now Salaban 2, finds it too far to be at the chapel. This somehow made them decide to split the barangay into two. Thus, we now have Salaban 1 and Salaban 2.

However, being part of one community, both barangays agreed to celebrate their fiesta at the same date. And to further not break the ties that bound them together before, the two barangays have their procession and sagala also at the same time. The sagala and procession will cruise the main rain then converge at one point. Both procession and sagala will walk until they reach the end of the other boundary. From which, they'll walk back to their Chapel for the final flowers of May to be offered to their respective Virgin Mary image.

A modern day Cinderalla off-board a tricycle instead of
the fairy-tale pumpkin chariot for a procession in Tulay.

Throughout those times, I was only thinking of Salaban 1's fiesta. I actually walked with Salaban 1's procession only to be surprised to see Salaban 2's procession at the opposite side of the road. The sun already descending to it's resting nest and getting dark already. I tried taking photos of Salaban 2's procession, but the zipping darkness has been getting in the way. Much more, forgive me for this, Salaban 2's walked faster compared to other. The sagala itself and their organizers were surprised to see me butting-in in the middle of their procession to take photos. The result, I had difficulty taking photos.

Lady in flute providing
procession's
music and harmony.

I have to apologize for limited photos of Salaban 2's procession. Looking at my files, I myself could hardly recognize which one is from Salaban 1 and Salaban 2's photos. Next year, I'll make it up to Salaban 2. That is a promise. Both barangays have beautiful procession. I admire that.

The only event that I covered during fiesta's bisperas event was that of Brgy. Pangao West's Ms. Gay Contest (Bawal Ang Bading). I was directly invited to cover the event. After which, I thought of covering other barangay's bisperas event. But still failed to do so. Then one late night, June 11, me and my decided to take a roll at Talaibon and Sto. Nino in hope of finding some event to cover. We headed first to Talaibon.

Reaching Talaibon's chapel, we found nothing but its serene night. There was no booming sound to get annoyed with. At the back of the chapel, we saw some residents working on some bangkulong for the following day's event. We also met Talaibon's Kapitana (my apologies, I can't recall her name). She cordially invited us to come and cover their parada.

Mamay Hamin and Nanay Gila on a float with apos.

We were actually thinking about prusisyon/sagala. But Kapitana told us they'll have their parade in the morning, then prusisyon/sagala in the afternoon. That again caught me off guard and surprised. For majority of the barangays I've visited, prusisyon/sagala is all they have. And now, we were just told about something -parada.

By 6:30am, TIA team is already at Talaibon. Another surprise almost gave a jaw-dropper. That was the first time I saw an elderly couple joining the parade. And take note, they're on a float! And as far as I can tell, it's Mamay Hamin and his wife, together with their grand sons and grand daughters (I hope I got it right).Unfortunately, we failed to ask what the parade is all about. Bur whatever it may be, I admit that's a beautiful parade.

A kid helping it out to
push Virgin Mary's cart.

Not everyone wants to be photographed. But like what I've said before. A photographer is a snatcher. When taking photos, some people would irk and bark on me. Others would even say "huwag mo na picturan ang anak ko, napicturan na kanina". They're actually referring to "rush pictures" taken by some photographers for a fee. I won't insist taking photos. I would also over hear others say "naluluko na ata yan" and "sino ga yan? hindi naman yan imbitado". I was a gate crasher. And personally, those were ear bangers. Those words simply take me out of the scene. And I would say, that's one of the reasons why sometimes there are only limited photos of one barangay.

Sayawan remains the best way
to celebrate fiesta's bisperas at
Brgy. Sto. Nino.

Along the way, three guys offered their help. I was glad to have them. When I sprained my ankle, they helped me a lot cover the remaining fiestas at the closing days of May and first week of June. I call them SyJA. You probably read my status thanking them. They did the same thing. Spending their own time and money to cover Ibaan (although most of time I still shoulder their transportation and food expenses). I borrowed a relative's cam for them to use so we can maximize our number. And I think we're able to give justice with the last fiestas -Talaibon and Sto. Nino.

TIA and the team will be waiting for Ibaan's next event.

There are times you would read my status like "running our of resources". It's not being melodramatic or lobbying for anyone to send me money. But it's true. I was down to my last hundred bucks with Talaibon and Sto. Nino coverage. June 14, today, I'm stating my job at zero balance. Good thing my bike still got some gasoline to take me back and forth to work.

This is not a medley of sentiments. Hopefully, some followers who think of TIA as a work of a psychotic also appreciate the results of our hard work for Ibaan. Much more, the things we have at the Page is for our fellow Ibaenos currently working or residing abroad. With this, we hope to take them closer back home -and that is IBAAN.