LAOAG CITY—Thousands of people flocked to public and private cemeteries here on Wednesday, lit candles and offered prayers for their departed loved ones.
All Saints’ Day is not just for the dead though. It s also considered a feast day for the living as relatives and families were seen bringing lots of food to the tombs of their deceased kin.
To ensure a peaceful observance, local authorities here regulated the entry of alcoholic drinks and banned sharp objects in cemeteries.
In San Nicolas town, barangay force multipliers had been assisting the police in the conduct of crowd control and in managing the entry and exits of visitors.
In Paoay town, thousands of visitors went to complete the Halloween pilgrimage amidst a gloomy weather.
Paoay residents have institutionalized a yearly feast of the dead called “Tumba” — an Ilokano word which means to fall.
Town Mayor Jessie Galano said this tradition which is unique to his hometown has been generating an influx of tourists including representatives from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts who documented it this year.
The holding of Tumba festival inspired by the elders of Paoay has now become a tourist attraction at the town plaza with various activities that highlight the Ilocanos’ unique tradition of remembering the dead.
To add color to the event, the local government unit through its municipal tourism office decorated a House of Horror near the town’s central school to attract festival-goers.
The St. Augustine Parish also established a House of Saints in front of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of St. Augustine Church where parishioners can bring their own image of saints.
On Tuesday evening, elected officials led by Ilocos Norte Governor Maria Imelda Josefa Marcos, government workers, business sector representatives and non-government workers dressed up for Halloween as they joined the “ParadaIloca-locana” (ghost parade) from the Sirib mile to the Capitol grounds.
“ParadaIloca-locana,” was the highlight of this year’s “Semanati Ar-aria” (Halloween bash) in the province.
Over the past six years, “ParadaIloca-locana” is one of the most successful activities of the province’s ultimate Halloween bash featuring the most terrifying ghost costumes and floats from the province.
For this year’s celebration, Provincial Tourism Officer Aianree Raquel said the parade was inspired by the Game of Thrones from the best-selling book series of George R.R. Martin.
The event showcased the creativity of the Ilocanos in making and conceptualizing their fantasy costumes. (PNA)
