The Turumba Festival!

The Philippines is known for having a great number of festivals celebrated in different parts of the country. Thousands of people gather for the occasion for these festivals, which is most of the time, a form of praise or devotion for Jesus, Mary, and different saints. There’s the Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, Aklan, celebrated every January and is one of the most popular festivals in the country, the Sinulog festival of Cebu which is done in honor of Sto. Nino, the Maskara festival of Bacolod City every October, and of course, the Feast of the Black Nazarene which is celebrated in devotion to, of course, the famous Black Nazarene of Quiapo.

While these are the famous ones and are well-known all over the country, there are those that are yet to be heard of, yet the people who gather for these festivities have the same type of enthusiasm and passion as those who gather for the popular festivals.

One of these, is the Turumba Festival in Pakil, Laguna. People, who are mostly from Laguna and Quezon, gather in one of the oldest churches in Laguna – the San Pedro de Alcantara Parish Church – to join the said festivity that lasts for about three months – one of the longest of its kind in the country.

330 Years of Faith

While the Turumba Festival is one of the longest festivals in the country, three months would seem too short, compared to the length of time that the San Pedro de Alcantara parish church has existed – 332 years to be exact.

It all began in May 12, 1676, when Fr. Francisco Barajas, a Franciscan who came to the Philippines for his missionary work, placed all his efforts in separating Pakil from Paete. Pakil used to be a visita of Paete, and the people from Pakil had to carry stones with them whenever they heard mass in Paete. Their way of helping in the construction of the church in the said town literally became burdensome for them.

However, Fr. Barajas efforts succeeded, which made him the first parish priest of the church of St. Peter de Alcantara. The church and the state were still considered as one during that time so it was also then that Pakil officially become a town, under the leadership of Diego Jorge. The first church was made out of nipa and bamboo.

Still, such fragile structure isn’t enough to bring all Paquileños together during a mass celebration. So in 1684, Governor General Gabriel Curruzualegui decided to put a halt to the collection of taxes in Pakil for the next five years, so as to be able to collect sufficient funds for the construction of a stone church. The people of Pakil were then involved in building one of the most important structures in their town. However, the said construction only began in 1732, under the supervision of Fr. Hernando Jaro.

The church was almost completely built in 1739 when it was unexpectedly brought to a stop, and the dreams of the people of Pakil for the San Pedro parish was suddenly reduced to ashes. At midnight of March 17 of that year, the sound of church bells was heard all over Pakil. Ironically, these beautiful sounds brought fear to the entire town.

Paquileños ran out of their homes and saw that their beloved church was on fire. Although they tried to save the church, some parts of it were damaged by this disaster.

Still, the fire was unable to burn the hopes of the people to have a fully built church. With the supervision of the government officials and the parish priest, the parish underwent a reconstruction, and was fully built in 1767. The efforts given by the people to rebuild the church pulled off since from then on, it was known to have a good and strong foundation, as compared to nearby churches.

With the continuous efforts of the Paquileños to improve the said structure, a belfry was erected ten years later. However, Pakil underwent another disastrous event as the convent that was located next to the church was damaged by fire in 1851. Still, the said fire could not match up to the burning passion of the people to again, repair the damage, as the church was restored three years later.

While the church has already suffered from many disasters, the worst has yet to come. This time though, fire had nothing to do with it.

In 1881, the entire town was literally shattered by an earthquake, and both the roof and the belfry was damaged. Still, the desire to repair the damages was unshattered by the disaster. Within two years after that incident, Fr. Juan de Dios Villayos and Fr. Paulino Camba had the damages repaired.

While most of the townspeople cared about the church, there was no specific group of persons that are held responsible for all the events happening within the parish. So in the 1900s, the organization Unidad Catolica was created. Coincidentally, it was also during that time that the church was separated from the government, therefore it was timely that a specific group was created to work for the church.

The group’s capability to help in the parish was soon put to a test as another earthquake created major damages to the said structure in 1937, with stones and parts of the roof falling off in shambles. The group was able to survive this trial by leading in the reconstruction of the church, together with then parish priest, Fr. Federico Diaz.

The church was further improved when the old altar was replaced by Fr. Joseph Regan in 1959 by the present marble altar which was made in Hongkong. It was consecrated in the same year by Bishop Alejandro Olaila. Further improvements were made in the years 1980-1984, when the tower and the roof was again reconstructed, under the supervision of the Parish Council of the Laity.

The beautiful sounds of four different church bells are heard all over the entire town every now and then. The first of these bells was placed in the belfry in 1796, and is dedicated to San Miguel Arcangel de Pakil, the second was in 1833, dedicated to Nuestra delos Dolores de Turumba, the third was in 1858, for San Pedro de Alcantara, and the last was placed in 1862, for Purissima Conception.

Over the years, the church has had more than 90 parish priests, three of which have already been bishops. Those that have become bishops are Fr. Joseph Regan, the church’s parish priest in the year 1952, Fr. Leoncio Lat, parish priest in 1960, and the last of which is Gaudencio Rosales, parish priest in 1963 and is now the Archbishop of Manila.

More than 330 years after the San Pedro de Alcantara Parish Church was established, it became far greater than the nipa and bamboo structure that it used to be. More than the improvement of the physical aspect of the church, the faith of a great number of people in Pakil is something that also brings pride to the parish. As the church was proclaimed a Diocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Turumba by the Bishop of San Pablo, Leo Drona, SDB, DD, on October 2006, appointing Msgr. Jose Barrion as the Shrine Rector, more people have visited the said parish. Rev. Fr. Marcelino Ramos who took Msgr. Barrion’s place as parish priest and Shrine Rector on January of 2007, now assists this people who gather to practice their faith.

The parish celebrates three fiestas every year: every October, the people of Pakil celebrates in honor of their patron saint, San Pedro de Alcantara. There is also the Grand Turumba Festival Celebration held during the Sunday which is nearest to September 15, in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows. However, the Turumba festival which is held for three months and is the most famous among the three, brings a great number of people together, in their devotion for Our Lady of Turumba. The Fiestang Pakileñas is also celebrated every 12th of May, however, this is usually within the Turumba Festival.

Turumba!

“Maskilala yung parokya namin sa mahal na Birhen ng Turumba. Ang mahal na Birhen ng Turumba ay walang iba kundi ang Mahal na Birhen ng Dolos Dolores, Our Lady of Sorrows.” – Fr. Marcelino Ramos, parish priest of Pakil

While the San Pedro de Alcantara parish church has a great historical background, there is still a need to place great emphasis on the Turumba Festival, and tell its story, separate from the church’s history. For this festival, has made great impact on the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores’ devotees, and for this, it has already created a history of its own.

In a book written by Gregorio Ybardolaza on the history of Pakil, it was on a Friday in the year 1788, when a missionary priest was in a casco along Laguna Lake, when a huge storm came and a painting that he brought with him accidentally fell into the water. The said image was spotted by some fishermen a day after and they were able to catch it with their nets. When they saw that the 9x11 oil painting was a picture of the Sorrowful Mother, they decided to bring it to the nearest church. However, they suffered from extreme difficulties during their journey since the current was too strong and was also against the direction they were going to. With great effort, they tried bringing it to other churches, but to their dismay, they experienced the same kind of difficulty. But when they decided to bring the image to the Pakil church, surprisingly, they were able to reach the town easily. It was already late in the afternoon when they reached Pakil, so the fishermen decided to leave the picture among the stones, hoping that someone would see the painting the following day.

It was a Sunday when some ladies walked by the stones and were surprised to see the Virgin’s image. They were amazed by the fact that the image remained to be dry even though the entire town suffered from a stormy night. They tried to lift the painting, however, no one could even budge it from its place. A big lady, which is said to go by the name “Mariangga,” also could not lift the picture. It was then that they decided to run to the church and tell the priest about the mysterious painting.

Upon hearing the story about the image, then parish priest, Fr. Miguel Soriano, assembled the people at the church and went down the lake while chanting the Litany of the Saints. Surprisingly, the priest was able to lift the painting with ease.

“Nang nagpunta doon (sa batuhan) yung pari, binuhat niya ito (imahe ng Birhen) papuntang simbahan habang nagsasaya yung mga tao. At doon nga ay nagsasayaw ang mga tao sa sobrang kasiyahan,” Fr. Ramos said.

Since the image was of the Virgin in tears, they have reached the conclusion that the woman in the painting was the Lady of Sorrows. Incidentally, that Sunday was on Sept. 15, which happens to be the feast of the Lady of Sorrows. Since then, the Turumba Festival was held annually.

The story of the origin of the Turumba Festival was also passed on through word of mouth for many generations, that most Paquileños could easily tell travelers, visitors, or foreigners the unique story of this festivity.

The word “Turumba” is used to refer to the wild dancing that people did for the festival, in devotion to the Lady of Sorrows. There is no direct translation for Turumba, however, most Paquileños would say that “Turum” in a foreign language would mean “to dance wildly.”

Since the image is too small for a procession, and could easily be damaged, a former Bishop of Spain looked for the real image of the Virgin and created an icon that was sent to Pakil, and is being used for the procession. The same icon is now placed near the altar, while the original image is kept at the church’s Capilla. During the later years, another icon was created, to be used for places beyond Pakil. During the procession, the devotees would sing and dance to the Turumba song, which was written by Julian Celis Balita in September 5, 1969:

Turumba, Turumba Mariangga

Matuwa tayo’t magsaya

Sumayaw ng Tu-Turumba

Puri sa Birhen Maria, Sa Birhen!

Turumba, Turumba sa Birhen

Matuwa tayo’t mag-aliw

Turumba’y ating sayawin

Puri sa Mahal na Birhen, sa Birhen!

Biyernes ng Makita Ka

Linggo ng i-ahon Ka

Sumayaw ng Tu-Turumba

Puri sa Birhen Maria, Sa Birhen (2x)

Turumba, Turumba sa Birhen

Turumba, Turumba sa Birhen

Turmba’y ating sayawin

Puri sa Mahal na Birhen

(Repeat Over)


The Turumba festival is similar to that of different chapters of a book, as it is celebrated with seven “lupis” or “folds.” These lupis symbolizes the seven sorrows of Mary. The first lupi, also known as “Pistang Viernes de Dolores,” is celebrated on the Friday before Palm Sunday. It opens and closes on that same day, then, the second lupi would open, and would also be closed, nine days after.

“Kaya ang festivals natin, hindi fixed ang date. Depende iyan sa kung saan papatak ang Friday before Palm Sunday,” Fr. Ramos said.

The second lupi would then be known as “Pistang Martes.” The routine goes on for the rest of the lupis, as each opens and closes, and they are as follows: “Pistang Viatico,” “Pistang Viernes,” “Pistang Linggo,” “Pistang-pagakyat,” which is usually associated to the ascension of Christ, and lastly, the “Pistang Pagpanaog,” which is said to be derived from the Pentecost.

One of the biggest of the seven lupis, is the Pistang Viatico, where people with different kinds of sicknesses, especially those with grave illnesses, gather enogh strength to head to Pakil to be anointed with the holy oil, and to receive Holy Communion.

“So sa halip na yung mga pari yung nagpupunta sa mga may sakit, sila yung dinadala dito for that purpose,” Fr. Ramos said.

During the first day of the Festival, a mass is held for the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores. After the mass, a procession is held and the image of the Virgin is brought around the entire town of Pakil for devotees to see and pray to. The scene is similar to that of the Black Nazarene festival, where people would try to get close to the image in the belief that they will be blessed and will be able to experience some kind of miracle in their lives. The procession ends in a pool which is blessed by the parish priest. The Virgin then is brought back to the church, where the devotees would get some of the flowers and take it to their homes. They would also buy some holy oil and use it with the wish to heal some of their illnesses.

Devotees who come during the Festival would not miss the chance to take a dip at the Doña Aurora A. Quezon – Nuestra Señora de los Dolores Swimming Pool, which is near the church and is said to miraculously heal the sick. The water comes from the mountains, and the pool was built in the year 1938. According to Ybardolaza’s book and the stories passed on by the natives of Pakil, one Friday evening, some people saw the water became very bright. Curious with what was happening right before their very eyes, they approached the water and it was then that they saw the Lady of Sorrows walking on top of the water. It is for this reason that the novena for the Virgin is done every Friday, the whole year round. Devotees would swim in the pool in the hope of being able to experience the miracles of the Virgin, especially for those who are sick.

“Sa katunayan ay bago sila umuwi sa bayan na kanilang pinanggagalingan, nangunguha sila ng tubig," said Bro. Reynaldo Sabeñano, former president of the Parish Pastoral Council.

However, Fr. Ramos said that there are those who come for the festival for the fun and celebration, but lacks devotion and faith in the Virgin.

"Yung mga tao, dahil hindi nacacathecize ng tama, hindi na nila alam yung ibig sabihin nung festival, pumupunta nalang sila dito para maligo," Fr. Ramos said.

Other miracles aside from what happened at the Laguna Lake are also said to have happened with the presence of the painting of the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores.

In the same history book that was stated earlier, Ybardolaza made mention of the great fire that the town of Pakil suffered from in the year 1851. This disaster has led to the damage of more than half of the church. Very few would things would have been spared in this tragedy, however, to the amazement of the people, 300 “estampas” of the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores which was inside the burning church, were spared from the fire, while the paper around these estampas were said to have burned. The estampas were then given to different churches, which led to a great number of devotees from different places.

While most devotees who seek to experience the miracles of the Virgin are those with illnesses, there are also those who pray to her so that they may be granted a child. This was mentioned by Dr. Jose Rizal in the 6th chapter of his book, Noli Me Tangere, where he says that most of the devotees are of women who ask the Lady of Sorrows for a child. Rizal was said to also be a devotee of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, since his parents were also devotees of the Virgin. It is through his visits in Pakil for his devotion that he met his best friend, Nicolas Regalado, who was a resident of the town of Pakil.

The clothes of the Virgin are also given importance by the devotees since they are believed to protect them, once worn by the Virgin. The icon’s clothes is changed every once in a while, and the old ones are cut into pieces and given away to the said devotees who believe that holding on to a piece of that cloth, together with their faith, could result to their safety.

While there is no proof that carrying such piece of cloth would result to some sort of miracle, Bro. Sabeñano feels that it wouldn’t bring any harm for people to believe and hold on to it.

“Yun ay hindi anting-anting, ngunit natataon na kapag daladala yung damit ng mahal na Birhen ay nalalayo sa disgrasya,” Sabeñano said. “Maigi lamang na dala-dala sa katawan para maprotektahan.”

Most miracles that are said to have happened, consists of people being cured from grave illnesses such as cancer, or those who have been granted children after a long wait. Some devotees were said to be cured by their devotion and faith in the Virgin alone, while others would also rely on the piece of clothing, some on holy oil, while there are those who have found satisfaction in taking a bath in the miraculous pool.

While the people of Pakil give due importance to the Virgin and to the festival that brings pride to their town, Fr. Ramos said that those who live in nearby towns have yet to know what the Turumba festival is, since there are those who are still unaware of its existence.

“Ako'y naaamaze sa mga deboto na nagpupunta, kasi to tell you honestly, nung ako'y di pa parish priest dito, ako'y sa kabilang bayan lang nakatira, sa Paete. Pero hindi ko alam ‘tong Turumba. Ang alam ko lang, e naliligo yung mga tao kapag lupi. Ni hindi ko nakikita yung mahal na birhen ng Turumba,” Fr. Ramos said.

“Kaya yung isang goal ng diocese ngayon, is to promote the devotion within the diocese, kasi, ultimo itong diocese namin ng Laguna, ay hindi masyadong kilala itong mahal na Birhen.”

Being one of those with the longest festivals in the country, it would not be surprising if there would come a time that the Turumba Festival would be as famous as that of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo, where people would gather and come together, to practice their faith. ###

References:
Ybardolaza, Gregorio C. Kasaysayan ng Pakil. 1971.
Parokya ni San Pedro de Alcantara: Kahapon at Ngayon – Souvenir Program
Turumba sa Birhen Maria de los Dolores – Speaker’s Bureau Module. 2007.
http://www.geocities.com/alfred1023/pakil
http://www.manila.happyhost.org/ArticlesSearch2/article2.htm
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=300553&page=2
http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?i=24&subcat=13