Kalesayahan Festival Focuses on Decorated Horse-Drawn Carts

Photo from: http://www.wowmarinduque.com/features/celebrate-the-heartwarming-festival-featuring-kalesa/

Kalesayahan is a contraction of two Tagalog words, “kalesa”, a local horse-drawn vehicle and “kasayahan”, festivity. A festival celebrating kalesas in Gasan town during the past decade to generate interest in this form of local transportation and to preserve the few existing ones, has been successfully undertaken in the month of August of every year. This is timed with the town’s celebration of its founding anniversary.

Kalesas and horses are decorated gaily with indigenous materials, carrying a young couple dressed up in ‘Filipiniana’ attire. Photos here show samplings of the village folks ingenuity shown in various expressions of their creativity in decorating, a community project involving men, women and children. Winners often receive cash and livelihood projects for their barangay, village. Read More: https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Marinduque/blog-465805.html

Photo from: https://trevorkloeden.wordpress.com/2011/08/27/day-561-of-retirement/76-kalesa-dscf2020/

Kalesayahan came from two Tagalog words, “kalesa”, meaning a local horse-drawn vehicle; and here comes another enticing celebration held in Marinduque, the Kalesayahan festival. Perceptibly, “kasayahan”, which stands for festivity. It has been successfully undertaken in the month of August every year coincide with the town’s celebration of its founding anniversary. Read More: http://www.wowmarinduque.com/features/celebrate-the-heartwarming-festival-featuring-kalesa/

KALESAYAHAN FESTIVAL

Photo from: https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Marinduque/blog-465805.html

A mode of transportation in the Philippines during the Spanish period is the kalesa, a horse-drawn cart with two wheels that could take in up to four passengers, plus the kotsero, driver. It became a status symbol for the wealthy to own a kalesa back then.

Kalesas have become a rarity today and could be found in places elsewhere, visited by tourists such as Intramuros and Vigan. In the old Binondo district of Manila, few kalesa units are still in use and people make use of them for short trips to transport goods that could not be loaded by other vehicles.

‘Kalesayahan’ was coined from the word ‘kalesa’ and ‘kasiyahan’, pleasure, and is the name of a festival in Gasan that was introduced during the last decade. It was intended to generate interest on the existing kalesas, preserve them and use them as a vehicle to attract visitors. Fact is, there is at least one kalesa in every barangay here. Read More: https://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2012/06/pleasures-with-kalesas-gasans.html?m=1

Photo from: https://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2012/06/pleasures-with-kalesas-gasans.html?m=1