Nicknamed “Art Capital of the Philippines,” the town of Angono, Rizal is known for its passion and talent for art. The town’s artistic side can be seen in every part of Angono, even on the streets. This is why it comes as no surprise that Angono’s most-awaited Higantes Festival is also one of the most colorful and creative festivals in the Philippines.
Higantes Festival is celebrated by the people of Rizal in honor of San Clemente, the patron saint of fishermen. The main event of the festival is the grand street parade where devotees carry an image of San Clemente, followed by parehadoras, which are women in colorful costumes shouting “Viva San Clemente!” as they march with a live band. Items that are considered as symbols of San Clemente such as wooden paddles, fishnets, and wooden slippers are also part of the parehadora costume. The parade also features street dance performances from professional dancers and students in local schools for added fun and entertainment.
Image: Alexander R Deborja on Facebook
Taking the celebration to greater heights are the festival’s iconic higantes which are paper mâché puppets that stand up to twelve feet high. The towering puppets are men and women dressed in vibrant camisa chino and kimona outfits. The origin of this tradition traces back to the Spanish occupation when Angono was a hacienda ruled by Spaniards. The hacienderos back then restricted locals of celebrations except for one annual fiesta. As a way of mocking the Spanish landlords, the locals included huge puppets that resemble the hacienderos in their annual festival.
Over the years, the higantes parade turned into a beautiful showcase of Angono’s creativity where each of the barangays creates giant puppets that represent their village. In an effort to keep this creative tradition alive, the local government also organizes seminars that teach locals the art of making these paper mâché giants, a craft originally taught by Spanish friars to Angonos. As a result, more and more local artists have joined the fun and there are now hundreds of higantes featured in the festival.
Featured Image: tntph on Twitter
