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| Photo: Angono Public Information Office Facebook page |
Festivities have been a tradition that makes the Philippines uniquely different from other countries. Fiestas come in various forms and colors depending on which town you visit, and celebrations truly make it more fun to be in the country.
When religious and cultural celebrations were ordered to be postponed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, my hometown in Angono, Rizal was no spared. For almost three years, the townsfolk commemorated the feast day of our patron saint, St. Clement in a somewhat cautious manner with the absence of vibrant festivities.
But this year's Higantes Festival hits differently; because after almost three years of dealing and bearing with restrictions, things are starting to ease up and we get to finally celebrate our town fiesta in fun, lively fashion -- just like how it was before the pandemic came.
Next to resuming the celebration that took a backseat for almost three years, getting to join the fun of this year's Higantes Festival is a meaningful one for me as this is my first time to witness it after 12 years! You see, I was employed away from home for more that a decade. And losing my former job to the pandemic became my quiet period to deliberate on a number of things, including that decision to consider being employed in an institution within the proximity of home. It was a move which proved to be a beneficial one. I didn't mind having to report to work on the day of the celebrations despite of it being declared a local holiday both my the national and local government unit because the catch is that I still get to join the fun and see everything unfold right before my eyes -- and that's one experience I won't miss for the world!
