Day 3. This is the highlight of the festival, the first day was just an appetizer and the second day was just a little break to sip a glass of water after you choked (lol).  Well, we went to town as early as one ‘clock in the afternoon, yes one hour before the street dancing competition to find a good place to see the whole parade. You know, being early is a way better than being late and unable to see the visitors and contenders.  We took our grandmother with us, we went to the ground of OSCES to see what’s happening, we seated and waited a bit and then we return to the shop of a family friend to wait for the parade.

To wait for something is somehow boring but exciting when it is worth it. The street dancing started at 2 ‘o’clock as scheduled, unlike the first day there are a lot of people in the street. It seems everyone was now informed about the most awaited MIMAROPA festival street dancing.

The first tribe was from Sibuyan, Romblon featuring their “Pag-alad Festival”  it is commemoration  of the transfer of the town of Azagra (Punta Kawit) to Sitio Pag-alad because of the scarcity of water. It also celebrates in thanksgiving the festivity of Our Lady of Immaculate Concepcion.

The female tribe dancers alternately carrying a flower and a basket were dressed in a bright green tops and yellow skirt which was cut like a flower petal, their heads were adorned with feathery head dress, and they were followed by the beautiful shemales in their bright green cloths carrying a piece of bamboo shoots that serves as water basin and at their back were the male dancers on their white patterned with violet  and yellow long shorts and tops with them was a net and a large fish and as expected the drummers were the last one in the tribe.  The dancers movement isn’t new, it is the typical movement of street dancers in Kanidugan festival, left, left and right, right. The sounds of their drum is a trademark too that they are indeed from Romblon, it sounds  festive and happy that when you heard it, you will feel like dancing with them.

The next tribe was Tribu Bitianon from Narra, Palawan featuring their “Palay Festival” honoring the town’s palay farmers, their tribe was headed by three people dress in monkey costume and a person in white bird dress followed by their male in red pairs of regional dress and female dancers  wearing colorful dresses which is dominant with yellow, red and brown. The female dancers move and dance joyfully despite their large dresses and large basket on their back.

The third tribe was the delegates from Marinduque featuring their “Bila-Bila Festival” which is Butterfly Festival in English language. The festival was celebrated in Boac Marinduque every December 8 and as you noticed unlike any other festivals in the Philippines which usually honor patron saints, Bila-bila festival celebrates the life cycle of butterflies. The butterfly farming is one of Marinduque’s unique industry and this festival helps to promote the province as the butterfly center of the Philippines.

As expected the delegation from Marinduque was headed by the morions.  As we all knew, Moriones Festival is a popular celebration in Marinduque during Lenten season.

The other dancers were dress like Aeta while the rest are in their green butterfly costumes, pink wings for females and blue wings for males, flowers and gold ornaments dominate their costumes. I have noticed the butterfly dancers were wearing a thick nude lipsticks, their makeup made them like goddesses of butterflies.

The fourth delegation was from Calapan featuring their “Kalap Festival”  which is celebrated every March 21, it is the city’s official festival. It was originally derived from the tagalog word Kalap means to gather, during the old times people gather woods to provide warmth and  to cook food. The term was then use as the name of the festival to show the culture and history of Calapan City. It was launched on 2009 and is still successfully being held every year.

Well, if you would like to see a dancing log don’t look any further because the delegates from Calapan just showed everyone that even logs can dance well.  With them were dancers dress in sea blue diving suit paired with a fish, I think they are the gatherer of fishes together with them are females dresses in Maria Clara gold dress.

If butterfly and logs can dance, birds can dance well too in the street this was proven by Tribu Tandikan from Puerto Princesa Palawan featuring “Tandikan Festival” named after the local term of the grandiose bird with colorful feathers and the symbol of the city of Puerto Princesa, the peacock.

What’s admiring was the person carrying a large feather at his back, I wonder how did he make it without getting a back ache.

Their tribe was made by males dress as Aeta hunters, local people dress in traditional dancers clothing. Well, being in the heat while watching the street dancing is energy draining but the Talandikan dancers dressed on blue and brown peacock costume made everything refreshing, the wind from their wings is an oasis in the dessert.  Wasn’t able to take good photos of them because when they passed by, you have to move far from the street or else you will eat their feathers (lol).

There is a rainbow after the rain so after being refreshed from the cold wind of Talandikan dancers here comes the “Bahaghari Festival” from Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro. The festival is a colorful commemoration of the importance of the rainbow in the history of the town of Pinamalayan.

According to an old story, the early settlers of this town came from Marinduque. While on this way to Mindoro on their bancas, they encountered turbulent weather and lost their direction. They prayed to God Almighty for deliverance and guidance, whereupon the weather cleared and a rainbow appeared on the horizon. The crew shouted “ipinamalay” meaning- it was made known.

They followed the direction of the rainbow and landed at what is now Brgy. Lumangbayan and established the first settlement which they named Pinamalayan. The rainbow became the historical landmark of the town.  – source: ormindoro.gov.ph

Just like a rainbow their costumes were very colorful in nature, the head dresses of their pretty female dancers looks so yummy and jelly but they are actually made of foams.  When there’s rainbow there will be a sun and of course beautiful fairies enjoying an amazing day.

Everyone has been amazed with the different tribes that went by but it turns out the best is yet to come, every one was shocked and left in awe when a “Tribu Mangyan” from Occidental Mindoro owns and dominated the street. Mangyan is an indigenous  group found in the island of Mindoro.

I was amazed and admired their huge confidence to walk and dance in the street of Odiongan on their bare feet and wearing just a bahag showing their butt cheeks so I gave them a round of applause because I can’t fathom nor see myself wearing just a tiny clothing down there like what they’ve just done, I might need to take a many many large huge drums of confidence (hahaha).

A bahag  is the traditional or tribal dress of Mangyans,  they wear loincloth and a shirt they call balukas. Tadyawan is one of the eight ethnic group of Mangyans in the island of Mindoro and Tadyawan Festival was also called “Mangyan Day” correct me if I am wrong.

As everyone has been amused with “Tribu Mangyan” and they couldn’t get over on what they just see. It was late to realized that they are the last tribe at the street dancing, I even overheard someone saying “bitin”, which means wanting for more.

When the end of the parade ends we left and went to another location to take more photos because our current location wasn’t good enough since it was against the sun. We decided to wait at the old market beside one of the old hardware in town, as expected there are a lot of people waiting for the street dancers.  It took a long time before we could even see the head of the parade, people are getting anxious and impatient that they went over the white line with this a police from Mindoro blurted out that people in Odiongan are hard headed (lol). When the parade ended the huge flock of people went to the sports complex where the MIMAROPA festival showdown will take place, I will blog about it in separate posts, check it out soon.

Just the thought of the colorful sails I have to see in the morning I wasn’t able to sleep well, I woke up early but my family wasn’t that excited as me. They took their time moving around, my mother even washed clothes twice, she said the sailing competition will not start early because it is still low tide, the management will wait until high tide.

When we arrived at the beach shore, there were only few people around and the sail boats were far behind the shore because it was indeed low tide.  Thinking the competition didn’t start yet, my mother decided to have breakfast first because she was starving, I didn’t go with them and I went to the shore alone to take some photos.

While, I was there taking my time roaming around I have overheard the older men who went near their sail boats that someone had already won and they started removing the sails on their boat. I chuckled out of disappointment, my mother and sister owed me big time “low tide my ass” which means those group of men we saw walking to the shore before we reach the events place were already the contenders heading to the finish line.

When they’ve finished eating breakfast they picked me up and we went home directly because my sister has to attend a meeting at 10AM and has to attend the parade in the afternoon as well. Along the way we met some bikers and we already passed by them when I realized that they were in the biking competition, arrrgghhh I didn’t snap some photos of them.

Well, in the afternoon we returned to town to watch the float parade of Ginoo and Binibining MIMAROPA 3 Festival, it wasn’t entertaining like the parade on the first day of the festival.  We did some errands in town which made us go home a little dark already.

Fireworks display in Odiongan isn’t a normal occurrence; firecrackers maybe yes (joke).   We directly went home after the last tribe finishes their performance without waiting for the winner to be announced because we still need to go home so we could return to town to watch the fireworks display at 9 o’clock in the evening.

We had dinner and after I feed my pets we went to town, we are bit late because the fireworks display already started but we are still along the way (Odiongan National High School), the gate 2 of Odiongan South Central Elementary School was closed so we have no choice but to run to gate 1 which is only open for pedestrians.   We are able to see half of the fireworks display, kids and kids alike were amazed with the fireworks display in the sky that they keep saying “Wow” and it was indeed a wow.

After the 10 minutes fireworks display we went to the night market, while waiting for my sister finding a parking area we stand at a corner and I started asking my mother if I am already smelly from the whole day activity, what is epic when I turned around I saw a “balut vendor” and that’s where the foul smell was coming from, the vinegar for the balut.

The night market wasn’t that large but it was already good to have one, there are different items on sale at the night market from souvenir shirts, bargain clothes and dresses, souvenir key chains, paintings, Christmas decors and etc., The other end was food stalls which is good for hungry night goers and visitors looking around at the marble stores at the Children parks.

The ground demonstration was held at Odiongan Sports Complex and it started around 6 o’clock in the evening, it was full of people.  There are many police around and even marshals to ensure the safety of everyone but no matter how they prohibit the people not to get too close, there are still some who doesn’t follow and the worst they sit in front of you.

When we arrived at the sports complex there wasn’t a good spot to see and took pictures anymore, even there was, I can’t left my mother alone but with her permission she let me go upfront which I did.  I sat in front of some people which gladly they let me after ensuring I am not blocking their way but as expected there are some who sat in front of us but we are able to asked them to leave, upon seeing that there was a space upfront where most camera men or people with cameras were seated I have asked permission to a classmate who work in the local government if I could also seat upfront too, I wasn’t permitted initially but then she said yes upon seeing there are some other people who were seated there too.  Thank you L.

Seated upfront I was able to use my camera well, it was only too bad I forgot to bring a tripod and clean my camera at home so my shots where a little bit foggy, good thing I brought extra battery and memory with me or else I will not able to record and took photo of all the contenders.

The Tribu de ESTI was able to show what they’ve got after some troubles on their recorded music/drums background, they didn’t use a lot of props and they doesn’t have many dancers to overthrow the ground but nevertheless they  did their best. The next contender was the Coron Festival of Ferrol,  contrary to what is a norm during ground competition they’ve use lively patriotic music, on their performance they are able to depict how Filipino lives the ancient times, pottery making, traditional Filipino games and they even showcase a couple dancing in top of wooden bench.

The third contender was the Biniray Festival from Romblon, Romblon they were great but obviously they were not the best, their tribe is very small mainly composed of men, the main attraction was the beautiful graceful dancer in his colourful costume and their powerful drums.

The next performer was the Kanidugan Festival, honestly I didn’t know it was our own until the host announces it, I overlooked them at the town parade maybe because their costumes wasn’t that great? (Haha, just kidding), their costume was good but it isn’t too catchy that you would be able to say WOW.  I think the tribes during town fiesta/Kanidugan Festival has a better costume than them.  I love how they started their dance performance, showing how a coconut was utilized and used by ancient people and the modern people today. What is amazing was a young farmer removing the coconut husk using his mouth, darn what a strong teeth he had huh? The Kanidugan festivals has an energetic dance moves that will left you grasping for air because they move like lightning. They were good but they are not the best as well.

The Talabukon Festival follows, they started their performance with a story telling how the giant Talabukon extend his help to the local people when a pirate came to their town.  Their tribe has a great number, what is catchy was their beautiful women dancers who look like fairies to me.  They’ve dance gracefully but their drums and sounds was lame, yes it wasn’t powerful enough to get people’s attention.

The last but not the least performer was the Carabao Festival from San Jose, Romblon.  They started their performance with a powerful introduction. Their clothes and costumes, confident smiles, rhythmic and graceful moves, people cheering was good enough to say they are the best.  I wasn’t able to video their whole performance because I was busy looking at them performing that’s how good they were for me, when they’ve finished it was already dark. Just like the others we didn’t wait for the announcement of winners anymore since it was already getting late and we are planning to go town later to watch the fireworks display.

Update:

The Carabao Festival from San Jose, Romblon won the Romblon Festival Competition.

The MIMAROPA Festival was launched three years ago, in line with the region’s vision of being “The Destination of Choice.” The festival was hosted by Romblon this year and it was held in Odiongan, the festivities duration will be from Nov. 20 to November 25.  The town wasn’t adorned well when this is a big festival, bigger than the town festival, the aura wasn’t too festive maybe if they add the colorful flag lets that was used last town fiesta together with the MIMAROPA festival banner/tarpaulin around the town of Odiongan it will be a bit more festive, but the question was where are those flag lets already? Are they being kept or the locals took them at home already as keepsake?

[Tribu de ESTI]

Anyway, the MIMAROPA festival brought excitement to Odionganons but I think sad to say many are not aware of the schedule of festivities and wasn’t able to go to town.

[Koron Festival – Ferrol, Romblon]

Well, in the morning after the conducting the opening program and lightning the torch of Unity there was a parade for  Romblon Drum and Lyre competition which I wasn’t able to witness because I am bit lazy to go to town as early as 7 o’clock in the morning followed by the Ribbon Cutting of DOT MIMAROPA Photo exhibit at Odiongan Legislative Building and the Ribbon Cutting of the Romblon Marble Festival at Odiongan’s Children Park and so on.

[Biniray Festival – Romblon, Romblon]

We have decided to go to town in the afternoon to watch the Romblon Festival Parade with MIMAROPA Festival Contigents, it took us a long time to find a good spot for the parade that started at two o’clock in the afternoon.  There were about six tribe who joined the festival parade which are as follow ESTI (Erhard System Techological Institute), the Koron Festival of Ferrol, Romblon, the Biniray Festival of Romblon, Romblon, the Kanidugan Festival of Odiongan, Romblon, the Talabukon Festival of Looc, Romblon, the Carabao Festival of San Jose, Romblon. The latter wowed the on lookers and by standers with their uniformed kinky hair (curly) like of an Aeta, one of the aboriginal people in the Philippines.

[Kanidugan Festival – Odiongan, Romblon]

The contigents from Palawan, Mindoro and Marinduque were present too. Sad to say, tribes from Palawan was the only tribe I’ve seen performed a bit in the street. It was such an experience watching the parade of all the Romblon Festival in one, but seeing them in competing in a ground demonstration is the real deal.  You don’t need to go to Romblon, Romblon to see the Biniray Festival and to San Jose, Romblon to witness their Carabao Festival.

[Talabukon Festival – Looc, Romblon]

The ground demonstration followed at the Provincial Sports Complex popularly known as Oval to many Odionganons.

[Carabao Festival – San Jose, Romblon]

When my mother and I arrived it was already full of people. The ground demonstration started around 6 o’clock in the evening, the first contigent almost lost it chance to perform because of broken sound recording, they have to stop dancing because their background music isn’t working properly, it looks like they have used mobile phone as storage device for their background music.  When, things were put to order they are able to show what they’ve got which made the audience laugh with the antics of a dancer who lost his costume while dancing.

Well, I will blog about the Romblon Festivals Ground Demonstration and Fireworks display soon, separately.

It was been a long time since we hit the road for road tripping, my father was always at work and  my sister was already working for a cooperative in town so to speak we have no driver because my mother and I doesn’t know how to drive, my family have been telling me to learn how to drive a motorcycle but how can I when nobody is dare to teach me.

[Photo taken at a vacant shore overlooking Binucot Beach Resort]

Anyway, we headed to the nearest town and drove to a popular beach resort. It was popular in terms of hearing it from online friends, seeing beautiful photos online and etc. Partly, we are looking for a place to eat out as family during special occasions, outside Odiongan. I am anticipating to see a resort that could wow me but along the way I didn’t find any special maybe because I have seen better or it just look the same with other beaches in Romblon. We just passed through the resort and have a short stop along the vacant shore and took photos, our mother has been requesting us to get a snacks at the resort but the weather isn’t good and we are afraid to stay longer because we have to travel back to Odiongan and the road will be slippery if it rains.

My guess we went there on a wrong time and day (there was a low pressure brewing) so the sky and the beach wasn’t that splendid like what I saw on many photos online. With this, we must return at Brgy. Bunsoran, Ferrol especially at Binucot Beach Resort on a splendid day to see its beauty especially during sunset and experience a mouth watering meal in their resort, isn’t it?

We exited Ferrol going to Looc and have a short stopped at their municipal hall. We have been to Looc many times but never had a chance to take photo of their historic municipal hall.  Like what we are afraid of, we are caught by the rain, it rains a lot going back to Odiongan and we are all soak.

Disclosure:  Above written post was my own personal experience and might be different from yours.

Celebrating my birthday is out of my plan, there was a part of me who would like too but there was part of me who doesn’t like too.  Anyway, instead of cooking something for my birthday we decided to went out for dinner tagging along our grandmother.

Eating out is economical and a wise decision than cooking at home, it will not just saves time but it will also save money because when celebrating it at home we couldn’t just eat alone without inviting or bringing food to my relatives, I could not just bring food to a neighbor’s house without bringing food to another and so on, typical Filipino culture.

Well, I have thought of eating at Harbour Chateau since I have not been there yet and I believed food wasn’t that expensive. We stopped their first to inquire but after finding out that their restaurant doesn’t suit, we went to Greenfields Garden Resto-Cafe situated at the back of a popular gas station. If I was not mistaken it was a snacks cafe first before it became a restaurant as well.

[Photo taken after we vacated our table]

When we arrived we are directed to a vacant table but someone suggested we could used the air-conditioned room so we did, there was three tables inside one is vacant, the other one was occupied by young students and the smaller one was just been vacated by the family we met outside.

We sat and look at their menu, it was bit expensive than Laszaji Grill and Mac’s Chicken & Barbeque Haus but since we are already there and we would like to try their food we ordered the food we like.  I have ordered three baby back ribs for myself, my sister and our father and fish nuggets for our grandma. My mother cannot choose what meal to get, she like barbecue chicken but she would like try their fish nuggets, she end up with barbecue chicken on her disappointment complaining it was small compare to our orders and salty, she started showing dis-likeness (tantrums as J calls it) so I have ordered a fish nuggets for her so we could eat peacefully. I have asked myself if I was like this with J, if I was, I was indeed very childish.

We have red ice tea for our drinks and their complimentary cold water. While waiting for our order, I shared how J and I enjoyed our baby back ribs meal in Brussels, Belgium. It was classic especially the beverage we have ordered wasn’t included in our bill (maybe it was free with the meal) and we literally sneaked out not paying for it, we have to traveled six months around Eastern Europe and Eastern Africa that time so we did a little mischief.

The food was served shortly, it took them less than twenty minutes to serve it compare to other restaurants in town that took a life time before they could served our food. Well, maybe because we are the only one eating at that time that’s why the service is fast. Anyway the food was great, the baby back ribs was tender and juicy. The fish nuggets were good as well as the bulalo soup, it was superb to my mother who is a very picky eater and their carbonara was a steal for me, I finally found a restaurant that could served my favorite pasta. We ordered extra rice to satisfy ourselves and as requested my sister’s dessert was served last.

Well, if you are looking for a good place to eat withand would like to try other food other than grilled chicken Greenfields Garden Resto-Cafe is a must try, their servers were very accommodating too, it was located at Brgy. Tulay, Odiongan Romblon, at the back of Petron Gas station which is just a little bit far beyond the Brgy. Liwanag bridge, beside the petrol station is a rice field.

Greenfields Garden Resto-Cafe
Barangay Tulay (near Petron), Odiongan, Romblon
OPENING HOURS: 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM
CONTACT: 567-6258

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. Above written post was my own personal experience and might be different from yours.

If not for my sister blurting out that it will be my birthday soon, I will not be reminded of it.  Yes, it will be my birthday in a few days, my family is excited about the thought of eating a chocolate cake and eating out on my birthday. The thing is my sister and mother planned to buy a chocolate cake, they both agreed that they will split the cost of the cake but I right now I don’t think there will be a cake on my birthday, my father didn’t work for a week because he is sick.

They’re in town right now for his check-up, hopefully they are able to scheduled a time for the doctor after getting a diagnosis in a diagnostic center. The doctor told him to return to her clinic after two months but it didn’t happen, he got many complications to the medicine prescribed by the doctor, so he stop taking the medicine and then we decided to changed it to branded medicine, it works well the side effects were gone but he didn’t finish taking the complete medicine, he either forgot to take every morning or I guess he just didn’t want to, because every time my father take the medicine he will asked how much does it cost,  knowing that the medicine is expensive he didn’t take the remaining medicines since he knew when he is done with it we have to buy another set of it until he finishes 60 tablets.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Well, I didn’t force him to finish taking the medicines I just watch out his diet, I also didn’t insist of bringing him to the doctor for his scheduled check-up but things things became more complicated after he works under the rain, he needs to see a doctor today which means expenses.

The thought of cake and eating a simple meal on my birthday is gone, I have so many bills to pay. I set-up a small business at home but it didn’t work smoothly, my resellers have many past due accounts that I have to pay in town. I have loans left and right so I could pay them because there is no one I could ask for help, my work online wasn’t that great as before because my internet connection is limited and not much opportunities anymore. I have become sickly too these past few months, had a minor electrical accident and so on.

There are times when I am alone, I just cry silently and not letting my family see my tears, I smiled and laughed in front of them, cracked jokes like crazy but little did they know…