“Pagibang Damara” Festival in Nueva Ecija

“PAGIBANG DAMARA” FESTIVAL

Sociable and cheerful, Filipinos love holding festivals, celebrations that are fun, colorful, exciting and also very meaningful.

Called fiesta or pista in the Filipino language, these festivals are held all year round in many islands of the Philippines for different reasons:

to give thanks for good harvest or catch
to mark special events in local history
to venerate Catholic saints

Pagibang Damara is a festival in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija wherein its people celebrates to give thanks for a good harvest in line with their celebration of the City Fiesta on the second or third week of April every year. Read More: wikipedia.org

Photo from: kachuchu.com

The Pagibang Damara Festival is celebrated every April 19th-22nd in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

Description Hundreds of years ago, here in Central Luzon, particularly in San Jose, landlords in the haciendas made the farmers build the “damara”, just before planting time of palay.

A “damara” is a makeshift shelter made from kawayan (bamboo) and nipa, built at the center of ricefields as a protection from the sun’s heat or from rain.

Over the years, it has been tradition that after all the harvests were safely brought home, the “damaras” are demolished. People then start celebrating together for the bountiful harvest.

Today, unlike in older days, wherein people celebrate separately in their barangays, San Jose City now celebrates as one big family. The after-harvest celebration has become a multi-sectoral effort, collectively prepared, funded out of contributions (from the public and private sector), and participated in by all sections of the city.

“Pagibang Damara” Festival started in 1999. Activities include: street dancing, beauty contest, tourism and trade fair, awarding ceremony and cultural shows. Read More: visitmyphilippines.com

Photo From: jonlombs.multiply.com

Pagibang Damara Festival is celebrated every April 19th-22nd in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija. A “damara” is a makeshift shelter made from kawayan (bamboo) and nipa, built at the center of ricefields as a protection from the sun’s heat or from rain. Read More: https://greedypeg.org/nueva-ecija/Pagibang-Damara-Festival.html