Kapilya Fiesta: The astonishing hospitality of Bohol

This past Sunday was the anniversary of Sr. San Sebastian Chapel located in Sapa, Bolod at Panglao Island.  What makes its annual celebration quite remarkable is that members of the chapel contribute to a fund to throw a feast not only for their fellow congregants but for the entire barangay (village), including their friends and relatives from other areas as well.

To top it all off, I was told that tradition calls for everyone to eat as much as to their hearts’ delight.  Hence, last Sunday’s buffet included the ever popular pork humba (adobong Visaya), beef caldereta, pancit canton, pakbet, and dinuguan. Also provided were unlimited soft drinks and tuba (local wine).

When it comes to fiestas, the hospitality of Boholanos is simply impressive.  The following photos show the various jovial scenes from this one single event.

So here goes:

The chapel is not all that expansive; thus, at such celebratory occasions, devotees tend to spill out in the street.  And for those who arrived late, the chapel’s grounds offer some  shady spots as respite from the blazing mid-morning sun.  

A few minutes prior to the end of the mass, the members of the Food Committee had already started laying out some plates for the starved congregants and their guests.

And the feast begins much to the delight of everyone!

This is an earthen jug filled to the brim with tuba (local wine).  Tuba is concocted through a process of extracting the sap of an unopened coconut bud.  It has a stinging sweet and bittersweet taste. The tip of the bud is lopped and the pale juice allowed to trickle into bamboo containers.  A sturdy tree yields about a gallon of liquid daily.

At this festivity, there were some tuba in plastic containers.  They were for the groups of revelers served along with a liter bottle of soft drinks as chaser.  I was somewhat surprised because in the provinces of Luzon, tuba is enjoyed as is -- without any chaser or added sweetener.

Finally, the photo below is one of my favorites. It shows a father and his son enjoying the sight of the never-ending cooking.  You see, this is an entire day of celebration.  Food is prepared and served until the start of the evening’s procession.

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