NEWSFLASH

BICOL FESTIVAL HONORS PINEAPPLE

Daet, Camarines Norte, June 14, 2000 - Camarines Norte has just been placed on the tourism map by a sweet fruit, the pineapple. Here is a MALAYA report on the Pinyasan Festival which promises to be just as famous as Masskara or bacoolod and the Ati-Atihan of Aklan.

The people of Camarines Norte in the Bicol region concocted their own street dancing fest, it was an easy decision. It could be no other than one that celebrates the sweetness of its native "Formosa" or "queen" pineapple - reputed to be the world's sweetest variety of the fruit which abound in the province's rolling terrain. Hence, the colorful May-time Pinyasan or Pineapple Festival was born.

Pinyasan was introduced in 1993 in Daet, the province's capital, to boost the local tourism industry. The festival is a crossover of Bacolod's Masskara and Camiguin's Lanzones fest which integrates the colorful regalia, contagious frenzy, rural flavor and versatility and indigenous materials.

The street dancing, highlight of the month-long celebration, regales colorful pineapple inspired garbs worn by local folks dancing to the upbeat tune of a rhythmic pattern composed by the Bicolanos themselves. >From the ornate headdress, mask, footwear, to the tiniest paraphernalia, the pineapple is a conspicuous element. Dance steps are simply show-stopping and heart-pounding with the animated, varied and energetic performances. So contagious is the dancing that spectators cannot help but sway and dan ce to the beat of the music being played.

Street dancers displayed their ingenuity in their Costumes. Muslim-inspired, Arabian Night theme, pre-historic motifs, mascots, and the simpler no-frills pineapple farmer outfit.

Under overcast skies, light planes dropped flowers and confetti to signal the start of the parade. Concluding the afternoon street parade is a hot air balloon launch bearing the colors of the well-loved pineapple.

Daet vice mayor Tito Sarion, a prime mover of the Festival, believes that given sufficient support by the government and the private sector, Pinyasan will soon be in the league of more well-known festivals.

The province is highly accessible from Manila and has a wide array of tourist facilities and a string of interesting destinations. Camarines Norte is Bicolandia's northernmost province which connects the Bicol Peninsula to Quezon. It can be reached by a seamless and scenic six-hour bus ride as Philtranco Lines which plies the Manila-Daet route.

This year’s Pinyasan was graced by Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz-Araneta despite the inclement weather - a positive omen of things to come. Definitely no mean feat for a modest province paying its respects to the world's sweetest pineapple.