Categories
Cebu

Lapayahan Festival

Lapayahan Festival is a cultural and religious festival in the town of San Remigio, Cebu, Philippines every May 16. It is conducted as a platform to promote its white sand beaches as well as a simultaneous celebration of the fiesta of the patrons of the town, St. Isidore the Farmer and St. John Nepomucene.

It is one of the cultural fests that is part of the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo every August.

Etymology

Lapayahan Festival comes from lapayahan, a Cebuano word that means shoreline.

History of Lapayahan Festival

Lapayahan Festival was first mounted in 2008 during the time of Mayor Mariano Martinez. It is organized yearly by the local government to promote the white sand beaches in the western seaboard of Cebu island and facing the Tañon Strait. It has longest shoreline in Cebu and an entry point to Bantayan Island through its seaport at Hagnaya.

The fest was put on hold due to Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting health protocols put in place to stave off rising infections and fatality. It was revived in 2023.

Devotion to St. John Nepomucene

Lapayahan Festival is also infused with spirituality as it is mounted in time for the feast of St. Isidore the Farmer (May 15) and St. John Nepomucene (also called San Juan Nepomuceno, May 16).

When the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, they brought to the islands Roman Catholicism. The church erected by the Augustinians in town of San Remigio was placed under the advocation of St. John of Nepomuk, a 14th-century martyr who was drowned by the orders of the King of Bohemia.

Formerly a visita of Bogo Parish, it was elevated into a parish on March 23, 1864. Its stone church was built on April 12, 1864 when Fr. Ceferino Montecillo was appointed as the first parish priest.

Lapayahan Festival Activities

Major mainstays of this annual fest are the street dancing and ritual showdown, beauty pageants (Lapayahan Festival Queens, Queen of San Remigio) , Laro ng Lahi, competitions, tournaments, grand parade, caravan, concerts, fluvial parade, procession, fireworks display, and music fest.

How to reach San Remigio, Cebu

From Mactan International Airport, go to North Bus Terminal and take a bus to the town of San Remigio.

References

Lapayahan Festival Summary

NameLapayahan Festival
CelebrationCulture, Religion
Contact(032) 435-9028
CountryPhilippines
DateMay 16
Emailsanremigio.pio@gmail.com
Established2008
Facebookweb.facebook.com
FounderMariano Martinez
LocationSan Remigio, Cebu
OrganizerSan Remigio LGU
Websitewww.sanremigio.gov.ph