Taong-Putik Ritual (Aliaga; June 24)
During the feast of Saint John, residents of barrio Bibiclat wake up at dawn and
walk to the fields, dragging dried banana leaves behind them. Silhouettes of barrio folks gathered in
the field, sunrise signal the start of the religious rite. Men and women, young and old smear their and
cover their body with mud. They tie one end of the banana leaves and wear this to conceal their
identities. Then they proceed anonymously to the barrio and visits each house were everybody waits
them. The taong putik are given candles which they collect and offer to their patron saint at the
church. The ritual ends in a mass where everyone removes the banana leaves to reveal their identities
and participate in the procession in honor of Saint Joseph the Baptist.
Divina Pastora Shrine (Gapan; 1st day of May)
Visitors come to the Shrine for prayer offering. They believe that the
patron is miraculous.
Araquio of Peñaranda (1st week of May)
The Arakyo is a traditional reenactment of Queen Helena and King Constantine`s
search for the cross where Christ was crucified garbed in colorful costumes, prince and princess
sing, dance and dramatize this centuries old tradition which features sword fights between the
Christian and the Moors. The two day performance proceeds to the streets, followed by the audience,
till they reach the house of the Hermanos and Hermanas where the search ends and culminates in a
procession. Similarly, the Komedya and Moro-moro carries on in the barrio of Kita-kita, San Jose
and Sta. Rosa.
Tanduyong Festival(San Jose City; 4th Sunday of April)
On the festival day, the streets are filled with contingents of
dancers, outfitted in the striking, multi-hued costumes. Exotic rhythms of improvised musical
instruments fill the air as the dancers gyrate and sway to the beat of life. This is a time of thanks
giving for their onion harvest.