There are many ways to discover Guimaras: it may be either through its beaches, its churches, or even its export-worthy mangoes. But of course, as the old adage goes, there is more to Guimaras than meets the eye.
What may those be, then? Well, you know how every locality has its own share of “quirks”? Well then, Guimaras is no stranger to this, too! And as usual, we prove it with a few proof on our list below!
Taltal sa Bukid
For anyone who has never encountered of this particular annual event in Guimaras before, its name means ‘Crucifixion at the Mountain’. And yes, it essentially means what you think it means: a reenaction of the last twelve hours of Jesus Christ, according to the Holy Bible… including the fact that said reenaction is as real as it could be.
So, that means you will see backs being whipped, large wooden planks being carried, and–the coup de grace–nails being driven to real, human extremities. All of these will go on while the “drama” is being acted by real people from the local community. Sure, it may not be to your “tastes”, but we guarantee you that it is something worth experiencing at least once!
Transportation
For anyone who is not used to the chaotic nature of the Philippine transportation system, you probably won’t be surprised that the only way you can ever get to Guimaras from the mainland is by riding on a motor-driven wooden boat. However, once you get to the island itself, then you would be marvelling at how… “peaceful” the entire island is.
How peaceful, you ask? Well, it’s knowing the fact that you can always ride on “tricycles” rather than on hulking vehicles, which makes sense considering that the roads of Guimaras aren’t well-equipped for heavy traffic. Sure, the occasional jeepneys are still there, but they are made to be much sleeker in design and only a limited number of vehicles are issued for each operator so as to curb any untoward incidence of traffic in the area.
Of course, if all else fails, then you can always ride shotgun on a motorcycle and hang on for dear life as manong take you safely to whatever it is you have to go! Hey at least it’s an adventure!
Manggahan Festival
This quite roughly translates to ‘Mango Festival’ and, yes, it is a weekend-long event that is simply dedicated to celebrating the addictive sweetness of mangoes! And really, if you have been to any small-town celebration before, then you would be familiar with how many of them honor the “products” that define them. In Guimaras’s case, it would have to be mangoes!
So, what can you expect from the Manggahan, then? Well, for one, it’s colorful, there are lots of dancing involved, and–most important of all–this is perhaps the only day of the year where it can be socially acceptable to stuff yourself silly with mangoes! Now, who won’t enjoy that?
Well, do you have any other unique Discover Guimaras experiences that you would like to share? Well, you are more than welcome to do so at the comments section below!
