Araquio Festival in Nueva Ecija – One of A Kind in the World!

ARAQUIO FESTIVAL

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The Araquio Festival is one of a kind in the Philippines and in the world. It is Nueva Ecija’s very own theatrical-religious presentations dating back to the time os the Spanish conqustadors. Nueva Ecija is a province in Central Luzon, also known as the rice granary of the Philippines as it produces one-third of the country’s rice supply.

Araquio festival is traditionally held in the month of May in this province. The performing groups gather at Cabanatuan City, the goverment seat of Nueva Ecija. The weeklong festival aims to recreate the expansion of Christianity and the war between Christians and Muslims. The festival features vivacious beats and brass bands, spirited choreography and moving voices embraced with a daunting literary piece.

The Araquio Festival is usually presented in May during town fiest, the feast of the cross. Because the date of the fest varies from one town to another, Neuva Ecija can be considered an Araquio province in the month of May. This festival starts with a Eucharistic Mass celebratioon and ends with the ever-elaborate Flores de Mayo. Each performing group is given a day or two to perform in the town plaza and thus it becomes a weeklong presentation when there are many groups lined up. Read More: http://theholidayandtravelmagazine.blogspot.com/2012/05/festival-fun-in-central-luzon.html

Photo from: decktheholidays.blogspot.com

Held every 2nd Sunday of May, in Penaranda, Nueva Ecija, the Araquio Festival is a traditional procession and dramatization of the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena and her son, the Emperor Constantine, where Jesus Christ was crucified.

Similarly, the komedya or moro-moro carries on in some villages such as Poblacion (2nd Sunday of May), Las Pinas (May 11 – 12), Sto. Tomas (1st Sunday of May), San Jose (3rd Sunday of May) and Pinasahan (May 21-122).

Dating back from the Spanish colonial period, the festival features vivacious beats of brass bands, spirited choreography and moving voices embraced with a daunting literary piece. Written in ancient Tagalog, the script tells about the feud of the Muslims and Christians that started over territories. It shows how Christians used the power of the cross symbolizing their faith in defeating the Muslims, who later retaliated by way of stealing the cross from them. Many battles preceded the retrieval of the cross, which in the end led to the Christening of the Muslims. Read More:visitmyphilippines.com

Photo from: https://www.hellotravel.com/events/araquio-festival

The town of Penaranda in Nueva Ecija has a very historic and religious tradition that shows how Filipinos adapted to and embraced the Catholicism brought by the Spanish colonizers to the country – the ARAQUIO. The very same tradition also shows Penaranda people’s craft and artistry as well as their loyalty to the Philippines’ past and culture for it was actually practiced there even during the Spanish times!

Araquio is traditionally and religiously held during the month of May in the town of Penaranda where local wealthy families take turns in sponsoring different Araquio groups to perform it. A presentation similar to Spanish zarzuelas, it depicts the crusade made by Queen Helen and King Constantine (and later, Emperor Heraclius from where the name “Araquio” purportedly came from) to recover the True Cross where Jesus was crucified. Read More: http://sanjosenyonggala.blogspot.com/2014/06/araquiofestival.html

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