CARACOL FESTIVAL

  

 

The Caracol Festival was initiated by the Makati

Government to promote the conservation of our ecology.

 The festival is held on the streets of Makati and is

participated mostly by students representing different

 schools. Participants are dressed in colorful animal costumes.

 

 

 

 

 

Caracol Festival as it is celebrated every third Sunday of January

 in Makati’s central business district is close to becoming a lot

 like a MGM grand extravaganza. But underneath the glitter and

 spectacle, the festival is in a way unique among Philippine

 fiestas since it honors Mother Nature and urges for preservation

 of her bountiful gifts.

 

Unlike other traditional festivals that have begun centuries

ago, the Caracol sa Makati was recently conceived. It started

as a Fiesta Island program of the Department of Tourism

in 1989 until on January 21, 1991, when the city government

of Makati made it as its official city festival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caracol is a Spanish term that means snail. The term was adopted for

the Makati Festival in Makati City, Philippines since the snail is protected

by its shell against the elements making it withstand the toughest

whip of nature.

 

The Caracol Festival is held as a tribal competition among

 hundreds of students from participating Makati public

 schools. Representing different divisions and levels,

 each group consists of 30 to 50 performers.

 

 

 

 

Since the theme is about protecting nature and preserving

 Mother Earth, participants dress-up as colorful flowers,

 exotic plants, insects, aquatic creatures and forest

animals. Judging categories include originality of

costumes, choreography and overall performance.

The main events are the street dancing contest and

best in costume competition.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived early for the main event. On Sunday at 3:00

P.M. a number of participants have assembled in the

 Gabriela Silang Car Park at the corner of Ayala and

Makati Avenues preparing for the grand parade.

  

The assembly area was packed with revelers, media people, photographers and

 participants in loincloths and floral headdresses, bodies covered in body

paint and gold dust and children in elaborate costumes.

 

 

 

 

 

The Grand Parade

 

About 4:00 P.M., the participants began moving to their

formation along Makati Avenue and turning at corner towards

 Ayala Avenue. The first part of the parade consisted of

 various business organizations sponsoring the event.

 

 

 

 

After the parade of sponsors, one by one the tribes burst into

 the street. Each group went through a series of chants

 and ethnic to modern dance steps.

 

 

 

 

 

The grand parade ended at the corners of Paseo de Roxas

 corner Ayala Avenue where the participants jumped,

 stomped, wiggled, swung and draw out the rhythm from

 the beat of the drums while the audience cheered intensely

and the judges watched to their delight.