LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Albay over the weekend capped its Magayon Festival, the annual celebration derived from the legend of the Mayon volcano, referred to as a beautiful maiden, "daragang magayon."
The Magayon Festival this year included the Santacruzan, a procession that concludes the month-long Flores de Mayo.
The result was a parade of angels – local belles donning white elaborately sewn gowns, as they walked under decorated wooden arches.
"We have included the Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan as one of the highlights of Magayon Festival events. We chose this also as our culminating activity to give praise and thanks to the Lord through the Virgin Mary for a successful celebration of the Magayon Festival," said Dorothy Fernandez Colle, head of the provincial tourism, culture, and the arts office in Albay.
The procession began at the Vel-Amor Subdivision, and ended at the Peñaranda Park, where the Reyna Elena was chosen.
"We hope that by doing this, we have sparked interest among the millennials to learn more about our local culture and traditions and eventually learn to love our heritage more and be proud of being uniquely Pinoy," Colle said. – Rhaydz Barcia/Rappler.com
