Pahiyas Festival - Lucban, Quezon

I think this is the best-known harvest festival in the Philippines. It is observed on the 15th of May every year by the townsfolk of Lucban, Quezon to celebrate the feast day of San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of farmers. They give thanks for the harvest of the past year and offer a prayer for blessings in the coming year. The festival, which is celebrated in the neighboring towns of Sariaya, Tayabas, and Gumaca, has become quite famous for the colorful display of houses adorned with fruits, vegetables, and other edibles. The entire town comes to life with residents infecting all with excitement and merrymaking. My kids had a blast touching all the decorations in the houses.

The townspeople use kiping, coconuts, rice, palay, and local fruits and vegetables as decoration. Kiping are multicolored leaves made from flour paste and food coloring --- yes, they are edible!. They are used to decorate the houses and to make fake chandeliers to hang from windows. You can also feast your eyes on parades of giant paper-mache figures which walk the streets, parades of carabaos and a lot more.


What's even more wonderful of course is the food! Pancit habhab which is sold on the streets is really a must-try. We enjoyed it! The kids especially! It got its name from the way it is eaten: served on a banana leaf, the noodles are held close to the mouth and slurped. You'll find the taste as remarkable as the peculiar way you are eating it. Although my son here in the picture didn't use his mouth to eat it, he said he found it weird! He used the very convenient fork!

Lucban is also home to the spicy, garlic-infused sausages known as longganisang Lucban. These can be found in the market and in some stalls along the streets, but be sure that they are all well-wrapped, otherwise, you'll smell it's aroma during your ride home. Although I love their longganisa, I think nothing beats the longganisa from Vigan, which is just awesome --- for me at least!


If you bring your kids with you, make sure that you keep them entertained and well-fed during the trip because it takes 5 to 6 hours to get from Manila to Lucban on the day of the Pahiyas due to heavy traffic in surrounding towns which are also celebrating the festival. As an option, you may want to get there a day before to avoid the bottlenecks. There are a few resorts in Lucban and its neighboring towns, but be sure to make a reservation first because a lot of tourists go there and they sometimes reserve as early as one year in advance.

Be prepared to walk because cars are not allowed to enter the town proper on May 15. When we went there, it was even drizzling so we had to take shelter in some stalls and houses once in a while and walk again when the sky was clear. My daughter even had a small accident which we couldn't forget because it left a scar on her right leg. While we were waiting for the rain to stop, she didn't notice the parked motorcycle, and when her leg touched the muffler which was very hot, her skin got burned and we were just surprised when she screamed. Until now, she still remembers that accident.

How to get there:

Lucban is 161 kilometers southeast of Manila. From Manila, take a Lucena City-bound bus. (Buses heading to Daet, naga, Iriga, and Legazpi usually stop at Lucena too). Get off at the city proper and take a jeepney to the town of Lucban.

If you're driving, take the South Luzon Expressway and get off at Sto Tomas, Batangas. Pass through the towns of Alaminos and San Pablo in Laguna, and Tiaong, Candelaria, Sariaya, and Tayabas in Quezon before reaching Lucban.

Bonus: Enjoy the scenery along the way.