Penafrancia Festival: Bicol’s Magical Event
Aside from the Mayon Volcano and huge whale sharks, Bicol offers another wonder: the Penafrancia Festival. Let the event’s magic surround you as you read this post about Peñafrancia Festival in Bicol.
Without further ado, let’s dive deep into the world of the famous event.
What Is Peñafrancia Festival?
The Penafrancia festival in Bicol honors the miraculous Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia, also known as Our Lady of Penafrancia or Ina, to her devoted followers.
During the event, devotees take her out of the shrine and carry her in a procession. The procession takes place along the Naga River every year on the third Sunday of September.
At this time, Naga resembles a gathering of people who come to the more than 300-year-old festival. They usually come with the hope of receiving an answer to their prayer, for healing, or just to express gratitude. Discover more about this holy holiday as we provide you with all the information you require, including its history, date, and events you should attend.
Why Is Penafrancia Festival in Bicol Celebrated?
September marks the start of the joyful Christmas season for Filipinos. However, for Bicolanos, it marks a month-long celebration in honor of the province’s patron saint, Our Lady of Penafrancia.
The Bicolanos and devotees affectionately refer to her as Ina. Her statue currently resides at Basilica Minore in Naga City. This month of September, people hold a variety of religious events in her honor. They also recognize her magnificence and the innumerable favors and miracles she performed for her followers.
Peñafrancia Festival Date
The Peñafrancia Festival date is on the third Sunday of September.
Our Lady of Penafrancia represents Bicol. Her devotees also affectionately call her Ina or Mother. She lies at the center of the fervent, religious, and civic celebration in September.
Aside from the Lady, the event also honors the Divino Rostro or Divine Face. People honor the Divine face on the second Friday of September. They then honor the Lady of Penafrancia the following weekend,
Both miraculous beings are linked by the Penafrancia festival in Bicol. Interestingly, this applies to many other events in the Philippines. The community sees both holidays as significant. However, the Penafrancia festival in Bicol attracts the loudest and most ardent adoration.
Peñafrancia Festival Place of Origin
Our Lady of Penafrancia features a long history, dating back to Miguel Robles de Covarrubias in 1710. The original Lady of Peñafrancia was in San Martin del Castaar, where she is from.
Since she was discovered hidden among the rocks, she was displayed on the shrine. Many people also say that her miraculous picture healed numerous sick people.
Here’s a background story taking us back to the origin of the Peñafrancia Festival.
Until he began his studies at the University of Sto. Tomas, Miguel was a devotee. However, he suddenly became really unwell.
When he was healed, he promised to build a chapel in her honor. Miguel carried a picture of the Lady at all times. After being miraculously restored to health, he later received priestly ordination in the city of Caceres (now Naga City).
He kept his word and built a stone church to fulfill his commitment. He also placed a wood-carved replica of the Lady of Penafrancia within it as a shrine. People went to the shrine right away. They also went there for a holy mass and a novena.
Penafrancia Festival History
The Peñafrancia Festival in Bicol is the most anticipated and significant Marian event in Asia.
The history of the Peafrancia Festival dates back almost 300 years ago. In 1710, Miguel Robles de Covarrubias ordered a modest chapel at the base of Mount Isarog. He did this to house a diminutive statue of Our Lady of Penafrancia.
He originally committed to erecting a stone Our Lady of Penafrancia Church in Manila close to the Pasig River. According to the story, his devotion to the Our Lady of Penafrancia has brought him numerous medical miracles.
The stone Basilica of Our Lady of Penafrancia was built under Most Rev. Ysidro de Arevalo, not in Manila but in Naga. Since then, a great number of people have flocked to the Basilica of Our Lady of Penafrancia to express their devotion. This made it the center of the largest Marian following in Asia.
Moreover, the original painting of Our Lady of Peafrancia was then taken on August 17, 1981. Many people from Bicol were in shock.
A year and a half after the photo was taken, the former rector of the old shrine Florencio Yllana was given a box. It contained a fragmented image of Ina (what locals lovingly call the Lady of Penafrancia). It was eventually verified to be the statue of Our Lady of Penafrancia.
Penafrancia Festival Costume
The incredibly lively Civic and Military Parades are two of the biggest and most anticipated non-religious activities of the Penafrancia Festival in Bicol each year.
They often take place the week following Traslacion. While elementary schools provide contingents for the Civic Parade, the Military Parade features students from high schools and universities from across the region.
The participating majorettes and marching bands don elaborate outfits that feature the colors of their respective schools. The parade starts from Panganiban Drive in Naga City and concludes at the Plaza Quezon grandstand.
There, the commandants, uniformed personnel, representatives of the local government, and the board of judges salute. While their marching units receive ratings for their overall performance during the parade, a brief exhibition will be presented.
Along with schools, other city-based businesses and groups take part in the march. The Annual Float Parade then takes place immediately after the Civic Parade. It features participating sponsors from various businesses.
The participating high schools or universities, together with their representatives, also compete in the regional band and majorettes exhibition. They showcase their talent through baton twirling displays and inventive marching band performances.
The Citizenship Advancement Training (CAT) Units from various schools perform silently. However, they do breathtaking drills right after this competition. They also handle wooden replica rifles with the utmost seriousness. The locals do this at the beginning and ending it with entertaining dance numbers.
Then, the Fancy Drill Competition takes place. Top-performing contingents compete for the exhibits in the traditional Annual Military Parade. However, because more schools joined the parade each year and because it ended late in the afternoon, the local authority held it separately from the Military Parade.
Must-Try Food in Naga City
Food makes a vacation to Naga City enjoyable. From restaurants and cafes to busy streets, you may taste tons of delicacies.
Bicol immediately conjures up images of a region where nearly everyone enjoys spicy and coconut-flavored food. It’s almost accurate, but there’s more to this area than that.
The picturesque Naga City also boasts historical landmarks, including Spanish-era churches and the stunning Mt. Isarog. These will be great choices for your first stop.
Once your exploration of the pilgrimage city is complete, you should explore the many dining options available to you.
There are many must-try places, but on this list, we’ve selected some of the local cuisine’s most well-liked dishes and sweets. Pro tip: taste all of them for a more unforgettable trip.
1. Milky Pili
Although not quite a full meal, milky pili can fill your tummy as you watch the parades.
It came from the pili nut, the rarest nut in the world. Fun fact: it is exclusively commercially produced in the Bicol Region.
It can also be made into a special milkshake with pili flavor! You’ll most likely order a second or even more plates. Its light and frothy texture will make your taste buds love you.
2. Laing Cordon Bleu
Similar to White Bean’s quesadilla, this chicken cordon bleu elevates the taro leaves dish. It does this by encasing it in a breaded schnitzel.
This serves as Bicol’s response to the continental favorite, chicken cordon blue.
3. Halo-Halo With Cheese
You’ve probably never had halo-halo like this before.
Yes, it’s like the typical Filipino dessert with all the things we love. These include sweetened saba, langka, ube, leche flan, nata de coco, kaong, sago, and evaporated milk.
The wonderful difference? The cheese sprinkled on top. Talk about being inventive, right?
The cheese truly elevates this dish to a whole new level of extraordinary. Plus, it almost melts in your mouth. This makes the halo-halo worth dying for.
4. Toasted Siopao
Filipinos love siopao, but Naga took it to a different level. the regular siopao features a fluffy white bun,
But in Naga City, you have siopao with a different bun. Instead of the typical white one, this siopao has lovely toasted bread. It has a different texture from steamed bread.
You gotta take a bite to enjoy the flavorful meatballs and slices of hard-boiled egg inside it.
5. Kinalas
Missing out on Kinalas, Naga City’s take on mami, would be sinful. It boasts of a bowl of noodles with savory broth. Then, the cooks put beef or pork meat pieces on top, brain-based sauce on the side, and calamansi on the side.
If you’d like something a little less bold, opt for the log-log. This one is kinalas with all the fixings but no meat.
6. Puto Bukayo
Naga’s puto bukayo must be on your top merienda choice list.
The snack features rice flour, coconut shreds, and muscovado as the main ingredients. The cooks then wrap it in scented banana leaves. Then, they cook it a little before serving.
7. Binutong
If you enjoy everything kakanin, you have to add binutong to your list of favorites.
The ingredients for this exquisite Bicol dish include glutinous rice and coconut cream. The cooks wrap them in banana leaves. Next, they steam them.
Although it seems straightforward, the sweet flavor and chewy texture make you drool! Add some brown sugar to it, or top it off with your favorite coffee.
8. Pinangat
Though Pinangat is also a common Bicolano side dish, Laing is more well-known. This dish consists of a combination of taro leaves, river shrimps, and young coconut boiled in coconut milk that has a light amount of spice.
9. Bicol Express
Bicolanos recognize Bicol Express as a side dish to almost everything. These dishes include fried food, grilled meals, and hearty soups.
Some people even refer to Bicol Express as the real dish served with heated rice. Add as many chilies as you’d like for the best flavor! If you don’t like spicy food, try this still. You might just change your mind. *wink*
10. Gulay Na Santol
Have you ever tasted Gulay na Santol the Bicolano way? If not, you must head to Naga to try this one. This dish features grated santol rinds, aromatics, siling haba, and gata.
The most unique ingredient of all? Dinailan― a type of shrimp paste with a strong flavor and aroma.
Trivia: This dish complements anything grilled or your favorite soup.
Popular Dining Places in Bicol
- Graceland – This food chain in Bicol had become a “must-visit” food outlet in the Bicol region with 28 stores as of February 2016. These include three other food outlets that cater to different tastes in the market (Baker’s Plaza, Geewan, and Red Platter).
- Bigg’s Diner – A name that reflected the growth of what was once a small take-out counter offering burgers and fries to all Nageños to now a special diner concept offering American food and a lot more.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Peñafrancia Festival in Bicol is the largest Marian gathering in Asia. It honors two saints: Divino Rostro (Divine Face of Jesus) on the second Friday in September and Our Lady of Peñafrancia the following weekend.
We celebrate Peñafrancia Festival because of the Divino Rostro and the province’s patron saint, Our Lady of Penafrancia.
The procession to the Shrine of Our Lady of Peafrancia kicks off the festival celebration. Then, a trip to the Cathedral occurs. After that, a trip to Danlungan for the river procession happens. A final procession to the Basilica would be held once the fluvial procession ends at the harbor.
The place of origin of the Peñafrancia Festival is Naga City. It is a religious celebration honoring the patron saint of the Bicol region, Our Lady of Penafrancia, on her feast day. The fluvial procession along the Naga River serves as the main attraction.
Yes, the Penafrancia Festival is religious. It honors Our Lady of Penafrancia, the patron saint of Bicol.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for an adventure in Naga City, we suggest you do it during the Penafrancia festival. Taste the delicacies, watch the parades, and celebrate with wonderful people.
Are you excited to join the Penafrancia Festival in Bicol? Let us know in the comment section below!
Check also our Masskara Festival, Pahiyas Festival, and Pintaflores Festival Guides.
About HICAPS
Over the years, HICAPS has helped bakers and businesses make delicious products by offering ingredients like ChiffonAide Cake Oil, Magic Whizk Whipping Cream, Red Velvet Flavor Emulco, and Instabake Brownie Mix.
HICAPS also provides tools and resources to valued partners such as the free “How to Increase Your Sales Amidst the Pandemic” E-book and free dealer locator that helps look for baking ingredients near me.
Want more free tips and tutorials? Follow us on Facebook at Hicaps Mktg. Corp. and on YouTube at HicapsTV. Want to be one of our valued partners? Fill this form out. Looking forward to talking to you soon!
