TINAGBA

FESTIVAL
WHAT IS A FESTIVAL?

A festival or gala is an event ordinarily staged by a local community,

which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community’s
culture. It is celebrated for the purpose of gathering together in memory of a
religious event and other connected historical background of the place
which has shaped its totality. Social activities, food, or ceremonies are
included in a festival.
LITTLE BACKGROUND
In the early 70’s, Jose Calleja Reyes, an Irigueno topnotch lawyer and
businessman whose advocation is Bicol history, revived an old Bicol thanksgiving ritual
called the Tinagba. The Tinagba can be said to have been the precursor of the expansion
of festivals all over the country after it was staged in 1974.

What Reyes re-presented was the Christianized version of the Tinagba, which
during the Spanish time was used to be held during the Feast of Corpus Christi.  Reyes
opted to time the holding of the Tinagba during the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes
which shrine he developed as part of his hotel complex.
LITTLE BACKGROUND
As introduced by Reyes, the Tinagba begins with the beating of the patong, a
hollowed wooden gong, which signals the start of the caravan of carabao-drawn
carts laden with farmers’ harvest around the main streets of the city.
Because of Reyes’ own aggressive marketing drive, the Tinagba received
generous publicity from travel and in-flight magazines of local and international
airlines; and attracted foreign tourists to Iriga.
 A key source for Reyes’ Tinagba was Fr. Jose Castano’s lengthily-titled paper on the
ancient practices and beliefs of the pre-colonial Bicol. As Castano narrated it, the pre-
Spanish Bicol people believed in a supreme god of good called Gugurang, or the ancient
one. It was to Gugurang that a thanksgiving ritual, called atang was offered and presided
by an effeminate priest called asog. He was assisted by his female counterpart, the baliana
who leads the women in singing the soraki, in honor of Gugurang. The atang consists of
the fruits of the land called himoloan, with the tagba, the “primicias,” the first one
offered. 
 The ritual consists of the construction of the chapel-like structure, called gulang-
gulangan, which was roofed with woven coconut leaves and bamboo poles for posts; as
well as the altar made of bamboo, called salangat. According to Castano, the materials
used had the temporality of the ritual itself which ends with the raucous drinking, eating,
dancing and even fighting of the participants afterwards. It was, according to him, almost
like a bacchanalia of the ancient Greeks.
TINAGBA FESTIVAL
This is culled from the root word, tagba, defined as “coger las primicias del arroz,” or “to pick, gather or
harvest the first fruit or rice.” This is celebrated on February 11, a yearly celebration in Iriga City, Camarines
Sur that originally started from the rituals of the earliest Bicolanos who offered their harvest to their gods as a
way of thanksgiving and requesting for a more abundant harvest.

The festival constitutes the re-enactment of an ancient traditional ritual that involved making offerings of
the land’s best produce. This was not just a way of showing gratitude, it was also an elemental practice that
ensured the prosperity of the land.
OVERVIEW
The main point of this festival is for locals to offer their first harvest of the year, as a celebration. Tinagba
Festival also coincides with Our Lady of Lourdes feast, so there is still some religious significance to it. This
festival in Bicol is all about offering the first harvest of crops and fruits. The event features a long procession of
floats that are being pulled by carabaos.

The locals bring out their best bull carts and motorized floats which are packed with the best of the
province's products, managed by men and women in traditional regalia that is just as colorful. It’s made more
amazing with marching bands producing lively sounds.
 The procession ends at the foot of the Emerald Grotto located at the top of Calvary
Hill. After that, a mass is held, and later on, there is a distribution of the agricultural
products to needy families in the town.

By bringing together locals from all walks of life, the festival lives up to its hype as
a unifying factor for Filipinos in showing gratitude. The festive mood, the palpable joy as
well as the warmth of the exuberant locals makes this a delightful festival to attend. Yes,
it’s an incredibly fun festival, but there is so much more to it than just colors, music and
games.
 The parade is a particularly memorable part of the festivals. The locals come out
on their motorized floats, which are abundantly adorned with the best products the
province has to offer. And with marching bands providing the music, it’s incredibly
hard to just stand by and watch, and not join in the festivities.

The highlight of the festival and the most awaited event by the viewers is the
competition of street dancing.
 Some of the activities done in the celebration are acrobatics,
animalandia, quiz contest, film showing, techno dance competition, wall
climbing, and science exhibit. One of the main programs in the celebration is
a contest for Miss Rinconada and Miss Tourism. There's also a celebration for
the Charter Foundation Anniversary of city.
OBJECTIVE

Aside from offering their first harvest as a traditional celebration, the

local government in the province also wants to promote eco-tourism in the
city of Iriga by presenting their prides and originalities in the festival
celebration.

One thing that’s actually pretty great about this festival is that the
activities change from year to year. Apart from the street dancing and the float
parade, the only thing that’s become a staple in the last decade is the
mountain biking race.
EVENTS
• Extreme Bike Challenge
• Tourism Expo
• Inauguration of the Eco-Adventure Park
• Youth Congress on Values Formation, Environment and Art Appreciation
• Opening of the International Davis Cup Tennis Tournament Mayor's Night

• Exhibits
• Film Showing
• Sports Competition
• Beauty Contest (Miss Iriga, Miss Tourism and Miss
Rinconada)
• Parade
• Street Dance Competition
• Last day of International Davis Cup Tournament
EVENTS
All of the other events differ from year to year, so you really can’t be sure what to expect.
Some of the events that were part of the festival in the last decade are beauty contests, film
showings, photography contests, talent festivals, fireworks displays, and many others.

In fact, in 2019, the festival also included an invitational billiard

tournament, where you got an opportunity to play with Iriga City’s mayor. The
politicians and the government are heavily involved in the festival, and just with
the funding. They organize some sort of conference for elementary and high
school goers every year, which aims to engage the youngest festival attendees
and educate them even more on current issues.
 The wonderful thing about this festival is that it is not just about
celebration and extreme sports. Raising awareness is also a very
important part of festivals, be it about breast cancer or environmental
changes. The 2019 edition of the festival also included a blood drive,
which is without a doubt one of the best festival events to partake in.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Attending the Tinagba Festival is sure to give you a

glimpse into the life of the locals, as well as show you how the
relation between traditional rituals has been interspersed with
the religious practices of a modern Catholic community. It’s
actually one of the greatest influences of Spanish Colonization.

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THANK YOU