By Leilani Chavez, abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 11/02/2010
MANILA, Philippines - Every first week of the month of November, immediately after lighting candles in honor of departed souls, the people of San Carlos City in Negros Occidental go into a state of merriment as the city's trademark festival conquers the streets.
The Pintaflores Festival, a festivity that combines the beauty of flowers and the masculine-likeness of tattoos, has been a less-visited but visually-appealing festival in the Negros Island.
"Pintaflores was born out of the people's search for a cultural identity and tradition," a site dedicated to the 2010 Pintaflores said as it stated the festival's origin and driving force.
The festival is a confluence of a famous festival in San Carlos City: the Nabingkalan Tattoo Festival, and its highlight, the Dances of Flowers. From the two concepts, Pintaflores officially became the city's official festival in 1992.
The dances are dramas of life and death and the triumph of good against evil. These themes are thanksgiving praises to the city's patron saint, San Carlos Borromeo.
Dancers with colorful flowers drawn artistically over faces, arms, bodies, and legs and dressed in ethnic-styled ensembles perform a dance ritual that usually shows a human flower formation.
"Pintaflores is coined from the words Pintados, the concept behind the Nabingkalan Tattoo Festival, and the "flores", the Spanish word for flowers that dominated the theme of the Dances of Flowers," the site stated.
Tattoos are believed to have been sketched on the skin of locals in pre-colonial Visayas--and its tribal allure has since been the core subject of the festival in San Carlos.
Although not as visited as the festivals in the neighboring Panay and Cebu Islands, the Pintaflores has received accolades among the various festivals in the Visayas.
"Pintaflores dazzles one with the vibrant colors of flowers and silk. It enlivens the spirit to the snappy beat of drums. It titillates the mind to the graceful sways and spirit of colorful dancers. It leaves a lasting imprint of a colorful, lively and beautiful people," the site added.
The celebration starts on November 3 and goes on until November 6. The street dancing and ritual competition will be held on November 5.
What to see: Aside from the ancestral houses and Byzantine- and Romanesque-styled churches, there are natural sights like the Alinsyawan Falls, Choco Hills, and Lapus Cave just an hour away. Visitors can take refuge in Sipaway Island for an overnight crash or stroll the La Fortuna Nature and Wildlife Lagoon in Brgy. Buluangan.
What to eat: Various seafood, from dried fish to fish bone to exotic shellfish, are must-eats in the area. Don't forget to sample the famous chicken inasal.
How to get there: Flights bound for Bacolod City from Manila last for 45 minutes; and from Cebu City, 30 minutes. By ferry, travel takes up to 18 hours from Manila. Some ferry services from Cebu drop by San Carlos. From Bacolod City, visitors can take the bus to San Carlos City.
PAGASA Weather Forecast: Mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms are anticipated in the Visayas because of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.
For more information, visit San Carlos City's webpage and San Carlos City Interactive for schedules and other updates. For inquiries, contact the City Tourism Office of San Carlos City : Tel. No. +63 (34) 312-5112; Fax +63 (34) 312-5408. Photos courtesy of San Carlos City Interactive.
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