September 2003
A twelve-day celebration of Bicol culture, arts and heritage will be showcased in Intramuros, Manila, from September 3 to 14.
Dubbed “Gayon Bicol Fiesta sa Intramuros,” it features festivals from each of the six Bicol provinces and Naga City.
The opening day, Sept. 3, will highlight Albay’s Magayon Festival, the Catandungan Festival of Catanduanes on Sept. 4, the Kaogma Festival of Camarines Sur on Sept. 5 and 8, Camarines Norte’s Pineapple Festival on September 9-10, Sorsogon’s Kasanggayanan Festival on Sept. 11-12 and the Rodeo Festival of Masbate on Sept. 13-14. Naga City Day on September 7 highlights the Bicol regional feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.
The miraculous image of INA will be installed on a flower-decked pedestal at the Clam Shell Tent, and a Catholic mass will be celebrated by Basilica Rector Msgr. Romulo A. Vergara.
A reenactment of the Traslacion, called the “voyadores festival” with members of the UNC Glee Club and the Manila-based Peñafrancia Association will follow.
The organizers are one in saying that the tying up theme of the entire 12-day celebration is the Peñafrancia, because the Bikolanos are a people in love with Mary.
PEÑAFRANCIA CELEBRATION AROUND THE WORLD
The Bicol Society of Vienna, Austria, will celebrate the Peñafrancia Fiesta on September 21, 2003, complete with a nine-day novena, and fluvial procession via the Danube River from the heart of Vienna-Tulln which will take over two hours. This is according to Eva Valenzuela Pozsogar who heads the group. The organization is composed of Bikolanos and Filipino residing in Austria, some of whom are ardent devotees of INA.
Other Bikolano groups celebrating the fiesta in their specific areas: in Lucena City, headed by former Councilor Thelma Alana and in Metro Manila, headed by Dr. Charito Prieto-Felipe.
