TABAK FESTIVAL

TABAK FESTIVAL March 19- March 22 | Tabaco City, Albay Held in conjunction with the celebration of the City¶s 1st Foundation Anniversary. The festival derived its name from a local word ³tabak´, meaning bolo, where the name of the City (Tabaco) was taken from. It¶s highlight is a street presentation where participants showcase the legend of the City. Numerous other activities are lined up to drum beat the affair.

When the Spanish conquistadores landed in Tabaco, they were met by an irate protective father who thought they were taking away his daughter. At the top of his voice he shouted to his family, Tabak ko! Tabak ko! (My bolo! My bolo!). His daughter came running with the bolo waving it to the Spaniards. The Spaniards thought that the fisherman was greeting and welcoming them to his land named Tabaco. Forthwith, they entered the word "Tabaco" in their catalogue as the name of the place p lace they were exploring June 18-24 Tabaco, Albay

The people of Tabaco, Albay wanted their place to be known as Ciudad nin Pagkamoot (translated as the City of Love), and not not as the commercial commercial haven of tobaccos, tobaccos, which is located somewhere somewhere up north in Ilocos Sur if my geography is right. Word has it that the town of Tabaco got its name during the Spanish colonial years, when the Spanish visitors would ask the townspeople about the name of the place. Unable to understand the question due to disparity in tongues, the natives would usually get irritated, and would ask anyone within earshot for a tabak (or a machete). Thus, tabak ko became Tabaco. Tabaco. Having evolved through the years, the story has also earned the town the tabak-making industry, which has provided livelihood for the people in this place located right in the heart of Albay province in the Bicol region.  And so for six days beginning June 18, the town celebrated the ³1st Tabak Festival´ in honor of its rich industry and cityhood of the town. One of the festival¶s highlights was the street dancing competition, which elementary and high school students of the town so gaily participated in despite repeated downpours earlier in the day. Bicolana maidens also vied for the ³Mutya ng Tabak,´ a beauty pageant wherein the ³magayon´ (which means µbeautiful¶ in Bicol) displayed their talents, intelligence, and charms before an audience that included a roster of judges. Back to the street dancing, where participants brandished their wooden tabaks up in the air, the street revelers in colorful costumes and choreographed steps danced their way to the hearts of onlookers who lined the parade route from the city¶s main road to the pier. It was not only the pomp and pageantry that lured visitors to the festivities of this town. town. Rather, the rich culture and history of the place that came with a package of beautiful, loving people have made every visitor¶s trip to Tabaco a memorable one. TABAK: A SYMBOL OF NEW BEGINNING 

MARAMING BESES KO NANG NARINIG ANG KASAYSAYAN SA LIKOD NG P ANGALAN NG TABACO. ALAM NATING LAHAT NA ANG PINAGMULAN NITO AY ANG SALITANG TABAK NA SIYANG BATAYAN NG  ³TABAK FESTIVAL´. SAMAKATUWID, ANG SENTRO NITO AY ANG ³TABAK´. SA IBANG LUGAR SA ATING BANSA, ANG TAWAG DITO AY ³ITAK´ O ³GULOK´, O KAYA AY ³BOLO´. ANUMAN ANG ITAWAG DITO, ANG LARAWANG PUMAPASOK SA ATING ISIP KAPAG NARIRINIG ANG SALITANG ³TABAK´ AY ISANG SANDATANG BAKAL NA MATALIM AT MAPANGANIB AT MAAARING MAKAMATAY. PERO PARA SA AKIN, ANG ³TABAK´ AY SIMBOLO NG ISANG BAGONG SIMULA. THE ³TABAK´ IS THE SYMBOL OF A NEW BEGINNING. A FRESH START. A NEW CHAPTER IN THE UNFOLDING HISTRY OF LIFE. ANG TABAK AY KASAMA SA MGA SIMBOLO NG ATING BAYANING SI ANDRES DE CASTRO BONIFACIO. KUNG MAAALALA NINYO, SA MGA BANTAYOG NG AMA NG HIMAGSIKAN, ANG HAWAK NIYA SA KANANG KAMAY AY ANG BANDILA NG KATIPUNAN; AT SA KALIWANG KAMAY, HAWAK NIYA ANG ISANG TABAK. DAHIL SA TABAK NIYANG HAWAK, NAGKAROON NG BAGONG SIMULA ANG PILIPINAS. OUR NATION MARKED A NEW BEGINNING. A FRESH START AS A FREE NATION. A NEW CHAPTER IN ITS UNFOLDING HISTORY AS AN INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC. ANG PATRON SAINT NG TABACO CITY AY SI SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST. NAPAG-ISIP KO NA SI SAN JUAN BAUTISTA NGA PALA AY SA TABAK DIN NAMATAY. KUNG MAAALALA NINYO ANG KANYANG KASAYSAYAN, HININGI NG ISANG MAGANDANG BABAE MULA SA HARI NG ISRAEL NA I HAIN ANG ULO NI SAN JUAN BAUTISTA SA ISANG BANDEHADO. AT SA PAMAMAGITAN NG ISANG TABAK, PINUGOT ANG ULO NI SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, AT NATUPAD ANG HILING NA ILAGAY ANG PUGOT NIYANG ULO SA ISANG MALAKING PLATO. DAHIL SA PANGYAYARING IYON, NAG-UMPISA ANG PAGBAGSAK NG PAGHAHARI NG NATURANG PINUNO. GUMUHO ANG KANYANG LAKAS AT KAPANGYARIHAN. AT ANG PAGBAGSAK NIYA AY NAGMULA SA PAGGAMIT NG TABAK. AT SA KANYANG PAGBAGSAK, ANG MGA ISRAELITA AY UMUSAD SA MAHABA NILANG LANDAS TUNGO SA KALAYAAN. MAKAPANGYARIHAN TALAGA ANG TABAK. SUBALIT ANG TABAK AY HINDI LAMANG GINAGAMIT NA SANDATA O PAMPUGOT NG ULO. MAS MARAMING GAMIT ITO SA ATING PANG-ARAW-ARAW NA BUHAY. HALIMBAWA, GINAGAMIT NATIN ANG TABAK UPANG LINISIN ANG TALAHIBAN OR DAMUHAN. AT KAPAG NALINIS NA NG TABAK ANG MGA DAMO AT TALAHIB, MAYROON NANG BAGONG SIMULA ANG MALINIS NA LUPA. MAAARI NA ITONG TAYUAN NG BAHAY O TANIMAN NG HALAMANG PAGKAIN. A NEW BEGINNING FOR THE LAND. A FRESH START. A NEW CHAPTER. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TABAK FOR THE CITY OF TABACO

DAHIL SA TABAK, MAY BAGONG SIMULA. NANG GAWIN NATIN ANG UNANG TABAK FESTIVAL SEVEN YEARS AGO, WE MARKED A NEW BEGINNING FOR THIS CITY AND ITS PEOPLE. UMPISA NG ARAW NA MAGING ISANG LUNGSOD ANG TABACO, NAKITA NATIN ANG MABILIS NITONG PAGGANDA AT PAG-ASENSO. AT ITO AY NAG-UMPISA NANG MAG-DESISYON KAYONG LAHAT NA MAGKAISA AT MAGTULUNGAN PARA MATUPAD ANG INYONG HANGARIN --- ANG PANGARAP NA MAGING ISANG LUNGSOD ANG BAYAN NG TABACO. SAMAKATUWID, ANG PAGTUTULUNGAN AT PAGKAKAISA AY PARANG I SANG TABAK. UNITY AND COOPERATION ARE VERY MUCH LIKE THE TABAK. THEY CAN CUT DOWN OBSTACLES. THEY CAN CLEAR UP THE ROAD TOWARDS OUR SHARED DREAMS. KAYA¶T SA ARAW NA ITO, WALA MAN SA KAPANGYARIHAN KO BILANG BISE PRESIDENTE NG PILIPINAS, I HEREBY DECLARE ³UNOFFICIALLY´ THE CITY OF TABACO AS THE CITY OF UNITY AND COOPERATION. AND I WILL UNITE AND COOPERATE WITH YOU AS YOU MOVE ON ALONG THE ROAD TO PROGRESS CLEARED UP WITH YOUR ³TABAK´ OF UNITY AND COOPERATION. BILANG PAKIKIISA SA INYO, ASAHAN PO NINYO NA ANG INYONG BISE PRESIDENTE AY MAGSISILBING KATULONG NG INYONG TOURISM PROMOTION EFFORTS. AKO NA PO ANG MAGBABALITA SA IBA NATING MGA KABABAYAN AT MAGING SA IBANG BANSA TUNGKOL SA LIKAS NA GANDA NG LUGAR NA ITO KATULAD NG SAN MIGUEL ISLAND, NATUNAWAN COVE, NG PUNTA ISLAND, NG INYONG MGA BEACHES AT RESORTS. SASABIHIN KO DIN SA AKING MGA MAKAKAUSAP NA KUNG TITINGNAN NILA ANG BULKANG MAYON MULA SA TABACO CITY, MAKIKITA NILA IYON MULA SA ISANG KAKAIBANG PANANAW. THE VIEW FROM TABACO IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE POST-CARD PICTURE OF MAYON. BUT THE BEAUTY AND THE MAJESTY IS THE SAME. SUBALIT ANG HIGIT NA GANDA NG TABACO AT ANG KANYANG MGA MAMAMAYAN. THE REAL BEAUTY OF TABACO ARE ITS PEOPLE. THIS IS BECAUSE WE, FILIPINOS, ARE MOST BEAUTIFUL WHEN WE ARE UNITED AND WORK TOGETHER FOR THE DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS WE SHARE. HANGAD KO ANG TAGUMPAY NG INYONG TABAK FESTIVAL. HANGAD KO ANG PATULOY NA TAGUMPAY NG TABACO CITY. LAGI NATIN SANANG MAAALALA NA TAYONG MGA PILIPINO AY MAGTATAGUMPAY LAMANG KUNG TAYO AY MAGKAKAISA AT MAGTUTULUNGAN.

ANG CITY OF TABACO ANG EBIDENSIYA NG GANOONG URI NG TAGUMPAY. MARAMING, MARAMING SALAMAT SA INYONG LAHAT.