Coron Festival is an annual celebration in Tiwi, Albay being held every third week of August. Coron is a Bicol dialect meaning clay-pot or pottery which the town of Tiwi is known for. It is an industry that can be traced back in the early part of the 17th century when the sticky clay dug at the hilly place near the sea named Bolo was discovered to have a useful way when the early settlers formed them in different shapes which they used for cooking, eating or drinking. Thus, the festival’s main feature is the pottery industry which is passed from parents to children and perfected through long years of practice without the benefit of formal training. It is a big and productive livelihood for the people there from its discovery up to present.
Capitalizing on these clay products from where the town of Tiwi became know, the 1st Coron Festival was born under the strong initiative of Mayor Patria Gutierrez and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan. A showcase of events highlighted by a street presentation participated in by the town’s different public and private schools and sectors gives a week-long of fun and merriment to visitors and local people. The religious package of devotion and prayer in honor of Albay’s patroness, Nuestra Señora de Salvacion (Our Lady of Salvation) is the peak event of the festival, colorfully drawing thousands of devotees and religious groups through a long maritime procession of different local sea vessels on the sea spray of the serene pacific ocean going to the quiet barangay of Joroan, the home of the miraculous image.
August 23 2008 02:58 pm | Bicol and Festivals and Pottery
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