Mad merry-making at Boling-Boling!

Catanauan in Quezon is a melting pot of migrants from other provinces, such as Marinduque, Batangas, Bicol, and other Visayan provinces. A hilly coastal town that lies in the central part of Bondoc Peninsula, Catanauan has 46 barangays, a population of more than 57,000, exquisite beaches, and a wealth of delightful delicacies. It is the largest town in the Peninsula and at present a fast developing commercial center within the district.

Yet, in spite the diversity of cultures, Catanauan remains steadfast in upholding the Boling-Boling, an age old practice celebrated annually as a prelude to the Lenten season from Palm Sunday to Holy Tuesday.

"Boling-Boling" comes from the Visayan word ‘’boling’[‘ which means dirt. It serves to underscore the nature of humans as sinners and the need to repent, do some spiritual cleansing and get ready for the Lenten Season. The festival is used as an outlet for merrymaking until the following day, Ash Wednesday. This signals the start of solemnity, suspending all merry-making until the Black Saturday in reverence to the Lenten Season.

OF KARNABALS AND DOÑAS

Participants roam around the town garbed in any costume they may fancy. Most of them wear colorful clown-like clothes while others imitate anybody whom they despise and make fun of.

Senior women wear brightly colored dresses and hats decked flowers, while singing and dancing from one house to the accompaniment of guitars and tambourines. Spectators would dole out cash donations half of which is given to the local parish church for its expenses during the Lenten season while the other half goes to the group’s civic projects.

Participants wearing clown–like outfits are called "karnabals", originating from the popular carnival clowns, while the group of serenading women are called "denoñas", or like doñas or society matrons.

Some men skimpily clad only in their undergarments also put on mud or grease with charcoal all over their bodies and roam around the town trying to scare young women and children for fun.

Rid of their spiritual flaws and ventilating their wildest dreams which can never be realized, the festival prepares the locals to commune with The Maker during the Lenten Season.

SPREADING THE CHEER

This year, the BolingBoling Festival contingent joins the Aliwan Fiesta again, eager to prove its might among the country’s most spectacular fiestas.

Spirited street dancing, swathed in the pomp and color of different regional cultures and traditions, will fill up the streets of Manila this summer as Aliwan Fiesta 2007, the so–called "the mother of all festivals", ushers in its fifth year on April 26 to 28, along Roxas Blvd.

Aliwan Fiesta ‘07, organized by the Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), together with the cities of Manila and Pasay, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, brings together thousands of the country’s finest craftsmen, street performers, and homegrown beauties handpicked to compete in the dance parade competition, float competition, and the much-awaited "Reyna ng Aliwan" beauty pageant.

Both local and foreign tourists have witnessed a 25-in-1 festival that showcases dancers from different Philippine festivals such as the Pakalog Festival of Pasig City; Panagbenga Festival of Baguio City; Bacao Festival of Echague, Isabela; Disposorio Festival of Hagonoy, Bulacan; Paminitan Festival of Rodriguez, Rizal; Boling-Boling Festival of Catanauan, Quezon; Pili Festival of Sorsogon City; Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City (Ilonganon and Kahilwayan contingents); Babaylan Festival of Bago City, Negros Occidental; Sinulog Festival of Cebu City; Alikaraw Festival of Hilongos, Leyte; Padul-ong Festival of Borongan, Eastern Samar; Pasalamat Festival of Pagadian City; Zamboanga Hermosa Festival of Zamboanga City; Kalilangan Festival of General Santos City; PadangPadang Festival of Parang, Shariff Kabunsuan; Kuyog A Sagayan of Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Kabunsuan; Melimud Festival of South Upi, Maguindanao and Kalilintad Festival of Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

A grand parade along Roxas Blvd, will kick off the culmination activities on April 28, starting from Quirino Grandstand and ending in front of Star City, CCP Complex.