Summer Vacation Part III: Feast of St. Ignatius de Loyola

The feast of Saint Ignatius de Loyola is celebrated on July 31. Saint Ignatius is the patron saint of the soldiers, the founder of the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) and he is also one of the patron saints of Liloan Southern Leyte.

It’s not my first time to celebrate the feast of St. Ignatius de Loyola in Liloan because my mom is from there and we have relatives there as well.

Anyway, we arrived in Liloan 2 weeks before the fiesta and it was raining (July is rainy season in the Philippines) but it wasn’t that bad compared to Manila. I’m thankful because the sun shined a couple of days after the arrival so we got the chance to go for a sightseeing and swimming. Then every morning, the sound of drums and lyres woke us up-yes there’s parade everyday before the fiesta! My cousins said that they celebrate their patron saint for a week and there are lots of activities before and during the fiesta. Like for example, the Lilo-Lilo Festival and the beauty pageant.

As a girl who grew up in Manila, I find fiestas outside the city more lively and more fun because people are cooperative and care about their community.

Students tried to hide their faces from the camera.

The lyrists

The spectators.

Drummers from the elementary school

He doesn’t like to smile. Okay fine! Be that way! 😛

Majorettes

Lilo-Lilo Parade

Mayor Shirley Chong welcoming all the guests and spectators of the beauty pageant

Miss Liloan Southern Leyte 2014 Beauty Pageant “The opening number”

The contestants in their bathing suit.

The gradeschoolers dance competition

They sure know how to hide from the paparazzi.