Regada: Annual Cavite City Water Festival

Cavite City’s party loving people are now on the midst of elaborate preparations for the Annual Cavite City Water Festival or popularly known as REGADA. The festival’s moniker was derived from the Spanish word "regar" which means to water or to sprinkle. Held every 17th to 24th of June since 1996, it is a week long celebration that is full of culture and plain old fun. Of course, the theme is water.

Over the years, we have seen more people attend the event. Not only because of its festive mood, but also because of the ecological implication and spiritual bonding that the people have come to experience during the affair.

The weeklong festival opens with KULAY AT TUBIG on the Spot Water Color Painting Contest to be participated in by close to 200 students from the city and nearby towns on June 17 and the first ever REGADA TRADE FAIR featuring the Cavite City’s ingenuity, craftsmanship and homegrown talents and the yearly TAHONG FIESTA on June 18-24 at Montano Hall.

The City’s entertainment district will party till dawn to give way for the MARDI GRAS SA SALAMANCA on the 19th and Haute Couture Michaelangelo Afable’s collections depicting the essence of REGADA will be paraded via a SUNDUAN featuring showbiz personalities, beauty queens, and ramp models on June 20.

The annual festival will not be completed with out the citywide: LINIS BAYAN … LINIS DALAMPASIGAN on June 22 and the exciting indigenous games played along the coastline dubbed as MGA PALARO SA DAGAT on June 23. Through these events, the entire Cavite City gives back to nature – an act that comes naturally to these ecologyconscious people. They are especially endeared to the water and sea, since the entire city is surrounded by water, Manila Bay on one side and Canacao and Bacoor Bays on the other two.

The event’s finale will coincide with the Feast of Saint John The Baptist on the 24th. One that day, the city’s main thorougfare will be rigged with sprinklers and mobile sound systems get everyone in wet party mood – THE TUGTUGAN SA PAULAN and THE BASAYAWAN SA KALYE. This is probably the biggest wet party and the only wet street dancing in the country today. A fitting climax to the yearly festival is THE CARACOL NI SAN JUAN BAUTISTA where in the patron saint is led out on a fluvial parade from the bay to the festival’s PAULAN to bless the people and for the Cavitenos to give thanks.

Come to Cavite City during the REGADA and immerse yourself in the Cavitenos most festive mood. For inquiries, get in touch with the Cavite City Tourism Council Telefax (046) 431-1655 or (0917) 898-3167.