Oh la Obando.

Obando Fertility Rite. To many Filipinos, it means fertility and conception. When I first told my friends and relatives that I intend to participate in the feast-- their initial reaction was like "Go look for boyfriend first before wishing for kids." I was like 'WTF!' Can't I not pray for other stuffs.hahahaha!

As a Catholic, I am an self-confessed church aficionado. I am a strong believer of making wishes-- that as soon as you stepped inside the church for the first time you must make a wish and God will grant. So together with my friends from the office we made a quick detour to Obando, Bulacan.

The Obando Fertility Rites is an annual three day festival celebrated in the Municipality of Obando in the Province of Bulacan. The Obando Fertility rites is a Filipino Dance ritual. This festival dates back even before the Spanish Era. It was then called the "Kasilonawan" wherein it was headed by the "katalonan" or the high priestess. This ancient fertility ritual was very important to the early Filipinos because a woman's fertility is equal to her worth. A Pagan God named Linga was the center of the Kasilonawan. 

When the Franciscan missionaries arrived in the Philippines, they built churches and introduced Catholic Saints to the Filipinos to propagate Christianity. They introduced the trio, Sta. Clara, San Pascual and Nuestra Senora de Salambao to Obando, in hopes to substitute their traditional Pagan Gods. 

During the World War II, the fertility rites came to a halt because of the damage done to the town of Obando and its church. After Obando was rehabilitated, , the Archbishop of Manila and the Obando Parish priest banned the Obando Fertility Rites from being celebrated due to its pagan origin. Though it was forbidden, it was still practiced but discreetly. It was in 1972 when Rev. Fr. Rome R. Fernandez and the Commission on Culture of Obando revived the tradition which still continues to this day.- Source: http://obandofertilityrites.com/

Personally, I am so awed with the devotion of the people. Initially I thought nobody would dare to dance under the soaking heat of the sun and on the streets (you know the kind of stuffs na nakakahiya) but I was darn wrong. Rather than dwell with the sticky feeling, it became a street party open to all. Young/old, whatever social status-- you can see dancing to the tune of Faith.

See you Obando. Hope I could visit you again-- perhaps next year. At times like this, I'd like to thank God because I was born a Catholic. Not that I am questioning other religion but God has a certain plan and reason for  everything. HE knows this is where I belong.

Love,
Katerina Bianca