Going to the Sayaw sa Obando 2014

The month of May is known to be a month of fiestas and I don't know what made me, some college student think about it for a while, but I decided to go see the Obando Fertility Rites in Obando, Bulacan, one of the well known fiestas in the country. Well known to even be referenced by Jose Rizal himself (guess it was already famous back in the day), the feast is a 3-day celebration held on May 17th-19th honoring the 3 patrons of Obando; San Pascual Baylon, Sta. Clara de Asis and the Nuestra Senora de Salambao on those 3 days respectively. During the feast, couples come to this town to dance to the song "Sta. Clara, Pinung Pino" in hopes of having children in the future. People and tourists come to the feast as well and dance along to the music to have their prayers answered, or at least see this in person. It's so popular that people from all over come to Obando in these 3 days of dance and merrymaking. I have never been to this fiesta... until now.

Now, I have already been to Obando before, just once though, but I have never been during the feast. Since it isn't that far from our place and not wanting to miss an opportunity to see a good fiesta up close, I thought of it for a while and I decided to go there for the 1st day of the feast. It was exciting also because it was the 1st time I'll be going there in person and by the way, I went there by myself :). I left the house at 6 am, had breakfast at a Jollibee near Munoz and arrived in Obando at around 7:30 AM. The mood was festive, vendors were all over and there were a few puddles on the way (dunno why, must've rained before). When I came to their church, a beautiful old church, it was already packed because of the people attending the mass and waiting for the procession. It was later that I found out that the procession started earlier at 7 AM, and people were waiting for it there. I had to ask where it was and went around to look for it along the procession route when I saw it. For the 1st time in the feast, I heard the tune of "Sta. Clara Pinung Pino" and saw people dancing to the song. From a distance, I saw the image of San Pascual Baylon (but not yet Sta. Clara and the Virgin Mary) and after that, I headed back to the church. I saw what I came for in Obando. The procession made it's way to the church and it was there where I saw the other two images in the procession, accompanied by bands, dancers and hundreds (if not thousands) of people. By the time the 8 AM mass ended, the images of the Saints entered the church and everyone in it started dancing to the hymn to Sta. Clara. I cannot deny, it was a powerful moment, seeing a great expression of faith and the joy was just infectious. I left Obando around 9:30-40-ish, tired but happy.

I'll share some pics of the experience.

Festive mood all over Obando

San Pascual Baylon Church, Obando

Inside Obando church

The 3 patrons

It's more fun in Obando

Performing the Hymn of Sta. Clara

Sayaw sa Obando

Dancing to "Sta. Clara Pinong Pino"

San Pascual Baylon

Sta. Clara

Nice bamboo instruments

Nuestra Senora de Salambao

Some of the dancers

San Pascual enters the church

As the images enter the church, the people erupted into dancing to the music of Sta. Clara's hymn

Dancing to Sta. Clara Pinong Pino. A beautiful moment. Pic is blurred though

High altar of the Obando church where images of the 3 patrons are enshrined

What an awesome experience to be there. At least, in a way, I was able to go out of town this summer (Well... it's in Bulacan, so... :P). Next year, hopefully, I am coming back. :D