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The Pahiyas Festival is celebrated in only one (1) day. Pahiyas decorated houses can only be seen on this day and will be dismantled the following day.

No. Houses with Pahiyas decorations are seen only on May 15. Days prior to that, houses are still being prepared and decorated until evening of May 14 or sometimes even until dawn. The next day, May 16, all the decorations are dismantled or torn down.

There are many activities during the days leading to the festival day. There is the Tiyangge sa Lucban, cultural shows and contests held day and night. But major activities culminate during the festival day such as the parade of floats, carabaos, higantes and beauties and the procession of San Isidro. Please visit the Calendar of Events for this year’s schedule of activities.

No, there is no entrance fee. Pahiyas Festival is a religious and community event that is open to the public.

The best time to see the decorated houses is in the early morning of May 15, preferably around 5:00 to 8:00 in the morning when there are few people roaming the streets and the view of decorated houses are unobstructed.

“Kiping” is made of ground rice, mixed with food coloring to produce different colors, molded in a leaf, steamed and dried. Because it is made of rice, it can be cooked – fried or grilled and dipped in syrup, sugar or honey.

No. Pahiyas Festival is only celebrated in Lucban. However, other Quezon towns celebrate similar feast of San Isidro on the same day as the Pahiyas albeit with different titles and ways (i.e. Mayohan sa Tayabas, Agawan sa Sariaya and Baluarte sa Gumaca), all emanating from the original Pahiyas of Lucban and only ride on with its popularity during the 1970s-1980s.

San Luis Obispo/St. Louis of Tolousse is the patron saint of Lucban and is enshrined in the parish church.  His feast is being celebrated every August 19 coinciding with the town’s fiesta and founding anniversary.  San Isidro is the patron saint of farmers who is being honored and thanked during the Pahiyas, Lucban being an agricultural town.

Sta. Maria Torribia is the wife of San Isidro who is likewise a saint.

Many are saying that the man is Jose Rizal, the Philippines’ national hero. But in fact, he is Don Juan de Vargas, the landowner whose land San Isidro was tilling and where miracles of the well happened and angels seen tilling the land on behalf of San Isidro.

The Lucban church is officialy called Church of the Parish of St. Louis Bishop, not San Isidro Church or San Isidro Cathedral. It is an ordinary church, not a basilica nor a cathedral.

No. August 19 is the town fiesta. Pahiyas Festival is a tourism event which has gain more prominence and extravagance than the actual town fiesta which celebrates the town’s founding anniversary.

The people of Lucban are generally called Lucbanins. In the past, they are called Lucbenians but not Lucbanons.  During the Spanish era, Spaniards called them Lucbanenses or Lucbeños.

Yes there are ample parking spaces but they are located outside of town. All vehicles are prevented from entering the town proper during the festival day. Everybody has to walk 1-2 kilometers towards the town.

Traffic is very heavy the whole day of May 15 in all entry and exit points going to Lucban. Incoming and outgoing vehicles are in a snails pace specially during the early morning and late afternoon. Traffic eases only at night.

Yes there is already a diversion road that bypasses the town of Lucban. It is not yet well paved but is passable to all kinds of vehicles.

There are tricycles but will only bring visitors to the nearest entry point leading to the town proper. They are also prevented from passing thru town. Fares are also doubled during the festival season, from the usual Php8 per trip to as high as Php50 depending on the destination and the number of passengers.

There are several hotels and other accommodations in Lucban. However, reservation in hotels must be made at least 6 months to 1 year in advance. There are boarding houses rented to transients.

There are plenty of restaurants and eateries in Lucban. There are also stalls and food carts selling Lucban foods and food-to-go meals. But due to the multitude of visitors during the festival, they are cramped and waiting time for orders take longer than usual.

Absolutely yes! There are no security or safety concerns that may affect your travel to Lucban or the celebration of the Pahiyas.