Fiesta Time

The last 2 days of June were somewhat noisier than those that surrounded them. It was Fiesta time in the Poblacion district of Makati city, that part of the Philippines I call home.

For a couple of weeks prior to the festivities bunting had been stretched across the streets announcing its impending arrival. Situated in the parish of St Peter and St Paul, the feast days for these saints was the excuse for the residents to spill out onto the streets and party. The samahang (street councils) had organized activities to entertain the kids and after the downing of enough San Mig for the adults.


The most notable activity of the second day of the fiesta was the marching bands. Twice they paraded through the streets. Marching girls with flags in the lead followed by drum and xylophone bands or silver bands all dressing in colourful uniforms enticing the residents out of their homes to join the party.


After the second parade the bands congregated in the town square, which is more of a triangle, and there they each played in turn. Each band presented a couple of tunes, the associated marching girls performed their routines whilst the traffic on JP Rizal Avenue, which runs through the square, waited patiently for them to finish.