Pahiyas Tour Report
Date of Tour : May 15, 2010
Booking Agency : Department of Tourism, Office of Director Louella Jurilla
Mabuhay Guide : Dennis Geronimo Red Maristany
Guests : 11 PAX,
Type of Tour : Site , Vehicle and Walking Tours
Itinerary
Planned
7:00 a.m. Assemble at the residence of European Union Ambassador
7:30 a.m. Leave for Lucban, Quezon
Route: South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) – Exit Calamba City – Sto. Tomas, Batangas – Alaminos – San Pablo City, Laguna – Tiaong – Candelaria – Sariaya – Tayabas – Lucban, Quezon
9:00 a.m. Note: (Director Louella Jurilla of Department of Tourism – Region IV will join the convoy in San Pablo City or Tiaong, Quezon)
10:30 a.m. Arrive Southern Luzon State University (SLSU)
Brgy. Colapi, Lucban, Quezon
The dignitaries will be welcomed by Dr. Cecilia Gascon, President of Southern Luzon State University
Vehicles will park at the SLSU grounds
Transfer to Vans for Shuttle to Lucban Town Proper
Proceed to Dealo Koffee Klatch Restaurant
Doña Ana Bldg., Quezon Avenue, Barangay 8
Lucban, Quezon
Activities:
Welcome courtesies by local government executives
Walking tours of Pahiyas decorated homes
Visit of Saint Louis of Toulouse Parish Church
12:00 nn Lunch at Dealo Koffee Klatch Restaurant
1:00 p.m. Shop for local delicacies, handicrafts and forest blooms at the
Lucban Trade Fair located around the town square
2:00 p.m. Watch the Grand Parade at the designated area near the church
3:00 p.m. Back to Koffee Klatch Restaurant
3:30 p.m. Merienda Cena or light refreshments
4:30 p.m. Leave for Manila
Route: Lucban – Tayabas – Sariaya – Candelaria – Tiaong, Quezon – San Pablo City – Alaminos, Laguna – Sto. Tomas, Batangas – SLEX
7:30 p.m. Arrive at the residence of European Union Ambassador
-end of visit of Lucban, Quezon-
Actual
7:00 a.m. Assemble at the residence of European Union Ambassador
#6 Pili Street, South Forbes Park, Makati City
7:30 a.m. Leave for Lucban, Quezon
Route: South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) – Exit Calamba City – Sto. Tomas, Batangas – Alaminos – San Pablo City, Laguna – Tiaong – Candelaria – Sariaya – Tayabas – Lucban, Quezon
9:00 a.m. Note: (Director Louella Jurilla of Department of Tourism – Region IV will join the convoy in San Pablo City or Tiaong, Quezon)
1:30 a.m. Arrive Southern Luzon State University (SLSU)
Brgy. Colapi, Lucban, Quezon
Proceed to Dealo Koffee Klatch Restaurant
Doña Ana Bldg., Quezon Avenue, Barangay 8
Lucban, Quezon
2:00 pm Lunch at Dealo Koffee Klatch Restaurant
2:30 p.m. Activities:
• Welcome courtesies by local government executives
• Walking tours of Pahiyas decorated homes
• Visit of Saint Louis of Toulouse Parish Church
• Shop for local delicacies, handicrafts and forest blooms at the
• Lucban Trade Fair located around the town square
3:30 p.m. Watch the Grand Parade at the designated area near the church
4:00 p.m. Back to Koffee Klatch Restaurant
Merienda Cena or light refreshments
4:30 p.m. Leave for Manila
Route: Lucban – Tayabas – Sariaya – Candelaria – Tiaong, Quezon – San Pablo City – Alaminos, Laguna – Sto. Tomas, Batangas – SLEX
9:30 p.m. Arrive at the residence of European Union Ambassador
#6 Pili Street, South Forbes Park, Makati City
-end of visit of Lucban, Quezon-
Time of Tour :
Planned 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Actual 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
TOUR DETAILS
Highlights of the Tour:
• I was informed of the tour assignment by Ms. Goya and she asked me to do initial coordination with Ms Gladys Quesea. I spoke to Ms Quesea and she gave me initial information on the tour, the guests, and she emailed me the original itinerary which underwent final revision.
• The tour date was set on the 15th of May, 2010. The guests were S.H.O.M. LADIES (wives of ambassadors ) who reside in Manila, their ambassador husbands and some of their children, Department of Tourism officials and staff headed by Director Louella Jurilla, Department of Foreign Affairs protocol officers, security and drivers.
• Prior to the tour I was requested to meet with Director Jurilla on Friday, 14 May, 2010. I was asked to do an impromptu commentary on the tour. I was surprised as Director Jurilla was requesting for a commentary of the tour. (Note to self: Always be ready for an improvised commentary). I had not completed my research and most of my commentary would have been based on stock knowledge and from experience of the Pahiyas celebrations I had been to in the past. Thankfully, Director Jurilla had to meet with the DFA protocol officers.
• I stayed around and waited until I was called back to the office to meet the DFA representatives. I had met Ms Jazz of DFA protocol during the meetings for SNAMM. So we exchanged pleasantries to the surprise of Director Jurilla. So I asked a few pertinent questions.
• I felt our presence in the Pahiyas tour would have been eased immensely as we would not have to deal with security issues. The DOT and DFA were obviously equipped to deal with the situation at hand. Our involvement would be the information dissemination on the visuals and the positive commentaries along the way.
• For most of the guests it was their first time to experience the revelry of Pahiyas.
• I was at the appointed rendezvous at 6:00 a.m. The trip schedule was for 7:30 a.m.
• The guests were middle-aged to senior citizens . All of them were fluent in English and I was relieved. .
• The guests assigned to me were: H.E. Wilhelm Donko and Mme. Donko (Austria), H.E. Iktiar Mohmim Chowdurry, Mme. Chowdurry and son Aloyya Chowdurry (Bangladesh), H.E. Andrew Graeme Matheson and Mme. Sue Cotton (New Zealand), Mme. Soledad Lavina Arias (Spain), H.E. Alistair Bell MacDonald and Mme. Brigitte Revol MacDonald (European Union) and two protocol officers from DFA. The rest of the guests were in Candie Cobiao’s coaster.
• We had a couple of police escorts to guide us along the way. Total number of vehicles in the convoy were 5: 1 van for DOT representatives, 2 Coasters for the guests, 1 coaster for back-up, 1 patrol car which joined us from the Silangan exit of SLEX, plus 2 escorts on motorbikes.
• Interestingly enough, all the guests were in a jovial mood when we left the European Union residence at Forbes Park. They were excited to be in Lucban for Pahiyas as they’ve heard so much about the event. But the traffic slowed down starting at the toll gate of the Skyway and degenerated from there. We ran into so many traffic jams and we were running out of commentaries almost until some guests would pop interesting questions regarding the event.
• I talked lengthily on the SLEX as we were spending a third of the trip while cruising along the highway. Unfortunately the traffic jams made us spent half the day there. From the Sucat junction, a view of the Laguna de Bay was visible so I talked about the lake, its significance and its effects on the lifestyle and livelihood on the people who live along the edge of the lake.
• Sometimes the H.E. MacDonald would ask me to read the days paper and ask me to comment on what Alejandro Roces wrote about re. Pahiyas. I would sometimes add to the information by adding vignettes on Philippine rural life. The DFA officers were at the back of the coaster and they would sometimes send questions via SMS from Mme. Macdonald who was at the back of the bus.
• We were momentarily stopped at the Toll exit as the barrier closed on the bus as we were exiting. The DFA protocol officers were fuming at the traffic enforcer. DFA impressed upon him that these were DFA ambassadors and had diplomatic immunity. His efforts at making a fast buck were shattered to pieces what with three women screaming at him.
• Mt Makiling was visible from the toll exit. A lengthy commentary on Calamba and its environs kept them occupied at this point.
• They were met like VIPS which was a total surprise for them. Apparently, they’re people too. We had to take a rest stop in the Petron Station once we reached Calamba en route to Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Thank God for the Police escorts, otherwise we would have been stuck in the SLEX all day. The escorts at least, kept us moving.
• Once we reached Tiaong, I gave commentaries on each municipality that we were passing through, what the municipality was known for, rough estimate on the population and number of households, religious festivities, etc. The same thing was done for Candelaria, Sariaya, Tayabas and Lucban.
• Mt Banahaw was visible from the municipality of Sariaya. Mme Mac Donald asked about the mountain. I gave a commentary on Mt. Banahaw as well as St Michael Minor Bassilica as we were entering Tayabas and Kamay ni Hesus Shrine in Lucban.
• There was some confusion at the SLSU. No one met the party there as we arrived late. We proceeded to the town of Lucban with the coasters and were escorted and allowed to go in within the town limits.
• I explained that since the roads were teeny tiny, all vehicles bigger than an SUV were left at the parking areas on the outskirts of town and that vans would ferry special guests to the town square. Some of the guests were getting impatient.
• Lunch was served at the Dealo Koffe Klatch. They were given a warm welcome by the owner of the restaurant and the other DOT officials headed by Director Jurilla.
• After the guests had eaten, they were eager to see the town and the famed homes adorned with Kiping (which I discussed ahead of time while we were in SLEX as an orientation to what they were about to see.)
• There were locals who were assigned to guide us through the streets of Lucban, aside from the map that was provided. The guests were divided in to four groups of seven persons each, plus one Mabuhay Guide and/or one DFA protocol officer.
• Among my group were HE and Mme. MacDonald, HE Ikthiar Mohmim Chowdurry and Mme. Chowdurry and their son Aloyya, Mme, Soledad Lavina Arias, Ms Jazz of DFA, local guide and myself.
• We were also given 2 local security officers to help us along the streets. The din of the revelry was ear splitting so it was difficult to give commentaries on the decorations. But I answered all the questions Mme MacDonald had in mind to the best of my ability.
• We went all over the fiesta area. It was rather slow as HE Mac Donald is a camera bug and he whipped out his mean-looking professional DSLR with a zoom lens. He must have taken hundreds of photos. We had to look back and look for him at times as he was lagging behind in the walk.
• Mme. MacDonald had her own point and shoot digicam as well and they were having a hey-day taking photos with Mme. Chowdurry and the Singapore representative as well. What made the process even slower was when they started making purchases for souvenirs… and we hadn’t even reached the trade fair area…
• We also went to the point of origin of the parade and we stayed in the spot where the parade began. HE MacDonald went trigger happy with his camera shutter, that is.
• We then proceeded to the church courtyard and admired the architecture. St Louis de Toulousse was massive and we were admiring the architechture inside and out as we were heading out HE MacDonald went to the side chapels and nearly entered the cloisters of the church.
• I received two calls on my cell phone from Mabuhay Guide Candie Cobiao. Apparnetly we were the last group to go back to Dealo Koffee Klatch. The party had a light merienda cena before we left at 4:30 pm for Manila.
• The ride back was a lot faster especially when we left the boundaries of Lucban and Tayabas. Thanks to the efforts of the police escorts. We had to make rest stops along the way, though, which slowed the return trip.
• Best efforts to avoid the traffic jams were greatly appreciated by the guests. But they had gotten used to the traffic jams so that they eventually learned to relax and some slept in the coaster.
• We arrived back in Makati by 9:00 pm and I gave my Thank you spiel to the guests as we exited SLEX. Some guests disembarked at the Sanctuario de San Antonio while some guests got off at the European Union residence at South Forbes Park. By then it was half past nine in the evening.
• Mme MacDonald was profuse in her thanks for the commentaries of the Mabuhay Guides saying that she appreciated the experience more and thanked us personally for assisting her and her husband around the streets of Lucban.
• Nothing follows.
