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CHAPTER 1
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CHAPTER 2
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CHAPTER 3
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CHAPTER 4
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CHAPTER 5
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CHAPTER 6
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CHAPTER 7
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  << Cont'd from Chapter 1, Page 3

      Despite its small size, the town of Pagsanjan is richly dowered by God with natural wonders. The crowning glory of these wonders is the triple gift of nature -- the awe-inspiring gorge, the roaring rapids, and the enchanting Pagsanjan Falls. More of this triple wonder will be fully described in Chapter 4.
      What enhances the scenic beauty of the town is its location at the juncture of the twin rivers -- Bumbungan and Balanac. Such location does not only enhance the beauty of the town, but is also economically strategic. For it makes Pagsanjan the crossroads of commerce and travel in the second district of Laguna Province. The fresh waters of the twin rivers are still unpolluted by industrial waste products, greenly verdured on both banks, and teeming with delicious fishes.
      The flaming sunrise above the coconut palm-fringed summit of Balubad Mountain in the east and the saffron sunset over the western rim of Laguna de Bay titillate the imagination of man, for they are truly a wondrous joy to behold.
      Beneath the upstream bend of Balanac River is a mysterious cavern called Doña Pascuala Cave. Only the bold and skilled divers can see its dark interior because of the river's ice-cold water and strong currents. According to local legend, it was once inhabited by a beautiful mermaid.
      Near the entrance of the gorge leading to Pagsanjan Falls, there is a cauldron-shaped bend of the Bumbungan River called Kawa-Kawa (Huge Cauldron). The water there is very deep and, at the bottom, it is so dark that a powerful diver cannot see anything. According to legend, somewhere at the muddy bottom lies a mammoth church bell, which during colonial times, the Pagsanjeños angrily hurled into the deep waters of Kawa-Kawa, because every time it was rung its thunderous peals frightened the pregnant women who consequently suffered miscarriages.
      Moreover, there are many mineral springs in Pagsanjan, including the Bumbungan Spring, the San Sebastian Spring, the San Isidro Spring, and the Anibong Spring. These springs are of therapeutic value. It is also the source of the ever-flowing lukewarm water of the swimming pools of the Pagsanjan Falls Lodge and Resort.

Maytime Festivals of Pagsanjan

      May is the best month of the year to visit Pagsanjan. To feast-loving Pagsanjeños, it is the time for merriment, romance, and music, the serenade songs, rising with melodic sweetness to the accompaniment of throbbing guitars or wailing violins. Since the Spanish period, Pagsanjan has been famous for three May time festivals, namely the Fiesta de San Isidro (Feast Day of St. Isidore), the Flores de Mayo (The Flowers of May), and the Santacruzan (Festival of the Cross).

The Fiesta of San Isidro

      Annually on the 15th of May, the barrio of San Isidro, its patron in Pagsanjan celebrates the Feast Day of San Isidro, its patron saint. Because many of the inhabitants of this barrio are farmers, it is proper that San Isidro, the patron of farmers, be its patron saint. This barrio fiesta is not as grandiose as the world famous Dia de San Isidro of Madrid, Spain. It is, however, worth seeing because of its arcadian jovialty and rustic vivacity.
      The highlights of the Fiesta of San Isidro are the carabao race, the procession of farmers and their families, and the exciting fireworks. The thrilling carabao race is usually held in the afternoon. The winning carabao and its rider are cheered lustily by the crowd, and are given a valuable prize, for instance, a cavan of rice seeds or a new iron plow.
      The procession of the farmers is a delightful thing to see. The men wear white barong tagalog and red kundiman trousers. They are barefooted. For headgear, they use the rattan salakot. The women wear patadyong in red kundiman. They are either shod in bakya (wooden shoes) or are barefooted. The most attractive sight of the procession is a gorgeously decorated carreton (cart) pulled by a big, slow-moving carabao. This carreton carries the patron saint, Saint Isidro, flanked by several barrio beauties dressed in red kundiman. Behind the carreton marches a brass band playing stirring music.
      As the lively procession cavalcades along the road, loud explosions of fireworks rock the whole barrio. When the people of the poblacion hear the thundering sounds, they say to each other: "The barrio folks of San Isidro are celebrating the fiesta of their patron saint."

The Flores de Mayo

      The most unique of the May time festivals in Pagsanjan is the Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May), a colorful festival of flowers in honor of the Virgin Mary. It is exclusively an "all-girls" affair. All participants are girls, especially the pretty ones. During the prewar years this festival began on May 1st when the little girls in town, dressed in white vestidas (dresses), marched to the church in the afternoon to hear the novena and to make a floral offering to the Virgin. This was repeated daily until May 30th.
      Since the Liberation (1945), the Flores de Mayo has seemingly lost its religious spirit. It has turned out to be a beauty pageant -- display of feminine pulchritude, precious jewelries, and dress fashions; in short, it has become more of a tourist attraction. The Virgin Mary, attired in elegant raiments, still accompanies the procession, but she is eclipsed by the beautiful and bejeweled Reina de las Flores who is usually from manila. Hundreds of people who watch the procession take for granted the presence of the Virgin Mary. They are more fascinated by the beauty, expensive dresses, and dazzling jewels of the Reina de las Flores and other pretty participants.
      Today the festival of the Flores de Mayo is no longer traditionally held on the 31st of May. To attract more people, especially the tourists, it is now celebrated during the last Sunday of May.
      This May time festival is still supervised and managed by the Hermano Mayor, Hermana Mayor, Hermanito, and hermanita -- all of whom are chosen yearly. Both Hermano Mayor and Hermana Mayor shoulder the heavy expenses of the gala spectacle.

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