LUCBAN, Quezon—As this town’s Pahiyas thanksgiving festival continues to draw millions of local and foreign visitors and tourists, Gov. David Suarez and Lucban Mayor Celso Olivier Dator join hands in promoting more spectacular celebrations to showcase local products and culture.
“Wherever I go, the Pahiyas Festival of Lucban makes Quezon province well known and its celebration yearly just lures millions of tourists from all over the country because it highlights the industry, creativity, joy, the richness of local culture and showcase the pride of place for Lucban town,” Suarez said in his short message of celebration and solidarity with the local inhabitants, tourists and visitors at the makeshift stage in front of the municipal building in the town poblacion.
Suarez, who sat at the stage with guests of honor, led by former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and various government officials from the departments of Tourism, Social Welfare and Development and Health, and representatives from the Office of the President, disclosed his plan to establish a Pahiyas Center of Quezon province in a 1-hectare lot identified by Dator.
“I seek to make the Pahiyas Festival a centerpiece of celebration and I propose to establish a Pahiyas Center of Quezon province and make it an everyday experience of celebration just like what I found in my foreign travel in Europe where there is a place of Christmas celebration every day,” said the governor, who presented a symbolic check worth P200,000 as donation for the town’s festival that honors San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers.
His wife, Party-list Rep. Ana Villaraza-Suarez of Alona followed suit with a P100,000 donation of her own.
Vowing to join hands with Suarez in implementing convergence programs of national government agencies for local development thrusts, Dator went on to introduce Marcos as the guest of honor of the festival.
Suarez and Dator on Monday welcomed guests at the Benito Pilar Yao Hall in the municipal building that included—aside from Marcos—Assistant Secretaries Eric Tayag of the Department of Health, Frederick Alegre of the Department of Tourism, Anton Hernandez of the Department of Social Welfare and Development; Baby Ignacio of the Office of the President for Special Projects; Dennis Hernandez, presidential adviser for Southern Luzon; Subic Bay Metropolitan Administration Chairman Martin Diño; regional director for agriculture in Region 4A Arnel de Mesa; and PNP Spokesman Chief Supt. Dionard Carlos.
Dator and wife Maricel Gina welcomed the arrival of Quezon Vice Gov. Sam Nantes and wife Marie Asensi at the municipal dining hall upstairs and were awarded a plaque of appreciation.
In the morning Dator and other municipal officials and guests did a “Walk Tour” starting from Saint Louis Bishop Parish Church, Tiangge sa Lucban market stalls and along the Pahiyas routes of the main avenue of the town, which were all bedecked with the traditional kiping (rice wafers), newly harvested fruits and vegetables, native products and other decorative items that adorn the houses and line the streets.