Tradisyon
Angel Alba | Maui High School, Class of 2026
Every year, many Filipino cultural festivals are celebrated. From May 24 to 25, 2024 the annual Barrio Fiesta® was celebrated. The Barrio Fiesta® has been open to the public for many years, bringing the community closer and developing a larger community over time. In the Philippines, people celebrate and participate in traditions that others do not. This is where the Barrio Fiesta® comes into place. It gives people the chance to embrace their traditions and present them through art, performances, or their amazing delicacies.
Trisha Mariz Basig and Jobel Marcos are two students of H.P. Baldwin High School who attended the Barrio Fiesta® for the “entertainment and delicious food” as they say. They were also part of the coronation happening every year during the Barrio Fiesta®. Jobel states the Barrio Fiesta® reminded him of the fiestas in the Philippines and how the vibrant colors, lively music, delicious food and sense of community brought back memories of the festive celebrations back in his hometown in the Philippines. He also says “It was a heartwarming experience to get a quick taste of the familiar traditions and culture in different settings.” As well as “the joyful atmosphere and camaraderie at the Barrio Fiesta® captured the spirits of Filipino fiestas, making it a special and nostalgic experience.”
As for Trisha, she ran for Miss Barrio Fiesta® and received the title of “First Princess Miss Barrio Fiesta®.” Running for Miss Barrio Fiesta® gave her the chance to step out of her comfort zone to socialize and meet new people. “Being at the Barrio Fiesta® was fun and entertaining,” she says. Trisha enjoyed the “variety of foods, booths, challenges, and entertainers.” Trisha said she also enjoyed a new experience when running for Miss Barrio Fiesta®.
Speaking of traditions, many people in the Philippines have grown up to believe in many superstitions. Some popular beliefs are jumping every midnight at New Year’s helps you grow taller, knocking on wood to prevent misfortune and itchy palms meaning money coming your way. Gyan Myra Bumanglag, a student at Maui High School, and her family believe in the proverb “Dayu Dayu, Apo” to clear out any spirits that will harm them. Chasity Kaye Agustin, another student at Maui High School, comes from a family who believe in the saying “Putting fruits and money on the table on New Year’s is a way to receive good luck.”
Meanwhile, Trisha and her family believe in the saying “Putting coins around a new house is a way of attracting wealth and success.” Gyan further explains “Placing coins around a new house is a way of achieving wealth and success.” These students believe in these superstitions; however, some may think it is nonsense.
Countless traditions are hosted every year but only one is Chasity, Gyan, and Jobel’s favorite tradition to celebrate, which is Christmas. They all state “Christmas brings them and their family together.” Jobel elaborates: “It’s a special time when we all come together, share memories, share stories, enjoy delicious food and exchange gifts.” Gyan explains “We get to celebrate God’s birth with family and exchange gifts.” During Christmas, the joy and warmth surrounding the atmosphere makes them feel at ease. Every memory created during every Christmas gathering is priceless to them and it creates a sense of togetherness that they will cherish deeply.
In the end, Filipino traditions can be brought and hosted in various locations, which helps to grow the Filipino community and build a stronger bond with one another. Hosting festivals, like the Barrio Fiesta®, is a good way to bring the community together. As Jobel amplifies, “It was a heartwarming experience to get a quick taste of the familiar traditions and culture in different settings.” Because there are many traditions celebrated in the Philippines it is important to at least celebrate some or most of them as a remembrance of the past celebrations or histories that occurred in the Philippines.
Google® Is Not Everything … is a monthly column authored by high school students. The title of the column emphasizes education is more than just googling a topic. Google® is a registered trademark. This month’s guest columnist is Angel Alba, a Junior at Maui High School. She is a Cultural Representative of Maui High’s Filipino Cultural Club, a member of HOSA, Upward Bound and the Filipino folk-dance group “La Galería: Compañía Baile Filipino.” Angel is in the Nursing pathway at Maui High School and aspires to be a pediatric nurse. In her free time, she enjoys creating blogs, building Lego structures, going to the gym, spending time with family and friends, singing karaoke, and watching dramas or any type of movies that have her interest. She is the daughter of Normalita Alba and Pablito Alba Jr.