San Joaquin marks 98th town fiesta, 5th Bayluhay fest
The people of San Joaquin, Iloilo once again welcome the Ilonggo community and guests throughout the country and abroad. This, as the town celebrates its 98th municipal fiesta alongside the 5th Bayluhay Festival, yearly attractions and reason to come home for thousands of San Joaquinhons overseas.
Themed "Reminiscing the yesteryears as one community, moving forward to a progressive centenary," town officials led by Mayor Ninfa Serag-Garin came up with a 7-day celebration. The activities aim to highlight San Joaquin's glorious past and the thrust of achieving a progressive future of the locals here.
The festivities start on Sunday, January 13 with the blessing and inauguration of the new municipal building. The day's events will also see the opening of the photo exhibit depicting the "Old and New San Joaquin, " the garden show and food festival.
Sunday will likewise see the event-highlight of opening day, Bayluhay Festival 2008 competition, and the yearly favorite, re-enactment of the Barter of Panay.
Some 53 kilometers away from Iloilo City, San Joaquin is the southernmost town of Iloilo and gateway to the Province of Antique.
Historically, San Joaquin prided itself as the cradle of Filipino civilization (La cuna civilizacion Filipina) for it was here where the greatest exchange, Barter of Panay took place in the 1200s. The barter as it has now been retold, eventually paved the way for the flourishing of a civilization in this part of the world.
SanJoaquin along with its rich history likewise have a wealth of cultural heritage like the San Joaquin Roman Catholic Church. The war-like façade remains truly unique and pictures the triumph of Christianity over the Moros in the Battle of Tetuan in Morocco.
This year's fiesta celebration is also intended to drumbeat the town's centennial as an independent municipality come 2010.
Bayluhay Festival on the other hand depicts life's bountiful blessings in San Joaquin. The even commemorates the historic landing of ten Bornean Datus and the Barter of Panay, both of which happened in the shores of San Joaquin.
The week's event will further be highlighted by the Pasungay 2008 set on the last day of the festivities, Saturday, January 19 and the ever-grand Fiesta Queen coronation.
The town's battlecry, "Go, grow San Joaquin... go, go, go!"