Nathan Reil O.

Mamacos XI-HONESTY

“REGION III (CENTRAL LUZON)”

In Region III, it composes of 7 provinces namely Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva
Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, and Tarlac. There are fiestas and other celebrations that
have common practices and activities in Region III. Let’s start from the first province that
has a festival, Aurora, the name of its festival is Sabutan Festival. The celebration of
Sabutan Festival is on August 24-25. The venue for this festival is at San Luis, Aurora.
The Sabutan Festival highlights the importance of growing palm tree for the
community’s economic well-being. The exclusive art of weaving Sabutan is handed from
one generation to the other. The festival features have native dance presentation
among school children, trade fair, cultural shows and exhibits. The second province,
Bataan, the name of its festival is Banga and Pawikan Festival. It is said the name of
the Balanga came from the word “ banga “, the tagalog term for pot used in cooking. It is
celebrated alongside the feast of St.Joseph. The celebration of Banga Festival is on
April 28. The Pawikan Festival is held yearly at the Pawikan Conservation Center in
Marong, Bataan. The main activity here is the releasing of the baby pawikan which are
hatched in the conservation center. Every year, during the festivities, they invite visitors
and thousands of students from the provinces to promote awareness and also be
treated to some street dancing, sand sculptures, a showcase of local products and
witnessing how the hatchlings go back to the sea. The third province that has festivals,
Bulacan, the names of the festivals are Obando Town and Pulilan Carabao Festival. In
Obando Town Festival, people participate in the annual Obando Fertlity Dance Festival.
The celebration of Obando Town Festival is on May 18. Obando Fertility Dance Festival
is held to honor the town’s patron Saint Clare and a chance for newly-wed couples to
pray for fertility through dances on streets. The celebration of Pulilan Carabao Festival
is on the month of May. It is held in honour of the water buffalos. These animals are a
prized possession in the Philippines. The fourth province that have festivals, Nueva
Ecija, the names of their festivals are Taong Putik, Kanton, Tanduyong and Tsinelas
Festival. Taong Putik Festival is not just a merrymaking celebration. It is a religious
ritual called “Pag-sa-San Juan” held every 24 th day of June in the town of Aliaga. It is
celebrated to honor their patron, Saint John the Baptist. The Tanduyong Festival is a
yearly festival in San Jose City. The people in San Jose give thanks to a Blessed
harvest of Tanduyong. The Tanduyong is a kind of onion because of a good harvest, it
is called the Onion capital of the Philippines. It is celebrated on every year during the
month of April. During the festival, the people filled the street and the dancers wear a
colorful costume. Tsinelas Festival is parade of floats decorated with regular to gigantic
slippers. And the fifth province that has festival, Tarlac, the name of the festival in Tarlac
is Matarlak Festival. It takes its name from the variety of grass that is native to the
Luzon area.

The artifacts being made in Region III are just common and popular throughout
the Philippines. They consist of “pot”, jewelries, pyrotechnics, leathers, garments,
furnitures and high quality native products. The most popular common artifact/man-
made products in region III are the gigantic slippers. They are easily to put on and take
off.

There are beliefs and practices that are accepted by the people in Region III.
First, Birth Practices, In one of the barrios of Guagua, Pampanga, close relatives of a
woman who is about to deliver a child together with their neighbors make noise like
shouting, beating tin cans and exploding firecrackers in order to help expel the fetus
faster. Second, Court and Marriage, the only prevalent form of courtship now is the
pamanhikan. At present, pamanhikan is being practiced when the parents of the boy
confer with his parent of the bride-to-be regarding marriage plans of the children. Third,
Baptismal Rites Practices, the baby’s baptismal dress serves as a souvenir and
decoration for the sala in Kapampangan houses. It is put on a frame and hung in the
sala like a picture. And lastly, Death and Burial, the wake lasts for at least three days
and two nights after which everybody participates in the libing (interment).

In Region III (Central Luzon), Central Luzon has a very diverse cultural heritage
and colorful traditions owning to the influence of Spanish, American, and Japanese
colonizers as well as the presence of different ethnolinguistic groups like Aetas,
Sambals, Capampangangs, Tagalogs, Ilocanos and Pangansinenses. More than half of
the population in the region speaks Tagalog which is attributed to the large Tagalog-
speaking provinces. Capampangan is the next most widely spoken dialect in the region
used by people from Pampanga and Tarlac. Ilocano, the third most dominant dialect in
the region is spoken in the provinces of Zambales, Northern Tarlac and Northern Nueva
Ecija which are closer to the Ilocano-speaking provinces of Pangasinan and the
Cordilleras.

There are some issues faced by peasants a long time ago in Region III. First
issue, Mambayu, it stands for Malayang Aniban ng Magsasaka sa Brgy. Manggang
Marikit, Bagon Bario at Yuson. It involves more than a hundred hectares in Brgy.
Manggang Marikit that used to be a part of Hacienda Davis. When it was covered by
CARP during the 1990s, it was leased by DAR and Land Bank to Philippine Cotton and
Taiwanese agro-corporation. By 1992, the lands were left idle and abandoned. The
farmers had to dialogue with the former landowner, an elderly Davis in Pasay city and
he did not oppose. They planted it with rice and vegetables that served as their main
source of livelihood. Second issue, 3100 hectares of Fort Magsaysay Military
Reservation (FMMR), the road of land distribution to farmers were twisted and rough.
Different private groups, corporations and individuals have attempted to landgrab the
lands that should be given to legimate farmers, most of them are retired military
personnels or private firms with strong connection to the military and police. General
Tinio have united to oppose the Corazon Aquino government’s Pantabangan energy
project. He is a flagship project of the Aquino government. The project would totally
displace Igorot communities along Balintingon river and endanger in case of typhoon as
this would eventually release water resulting massive flooding. And third issue,
Displacement of Igorot communities at Pantabangan reservoir, farmers and Igorot
communities around Pantabangan dam are being displaced the Energy Development
Corp. (EDC). EDC and NIA are pushing their so called reforestation project but they are
cultivating commercial fruit crops. A vice-tribal chieftain was also arrested on March 22
as he opposed the EDC-NIA project. EDC is owned by the Lopez and the project was
promoted by the Arroyo government that is now being continued by the Aquino
government through his Public Private Partnership program and Philippine Energy Plan
(PEP).

Bibliography
DTI. (n.d.). DTI Web page. Retrieved from Google Website: https://www.dti.gov.ph/regions/region3/r3-
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Elmido, A. (2015, August 2). slidehare. Retrieved from Google Website:

https://www.slideshare.net/AnneElmido/issues-of-region-3-anne?
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Tamayo , A. E. (2018, September 30). slideshare. Retrieved from Google Website:

https://www.slideshare.net/ajoygorgeous/region-iii-central-luzon-117427419?
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