WALKING in the streets of Lucena took me back to my childhood days, when my mother and I used to go on weekend trips to Manila to hear mass at the Santa Cruz Church and roam around Carriedo’s streets.
Lucena, with its one-lane roads, old buildings, jeeps and large number of people walking the sidewalks, had the same vibe as Carriedo back in the day.
There were moments when I was half-consciously looking around just to see if Good Earth was nearby. Maybe COD or Plaza Fair was just around the corner. Or maybe I would find a Syvels store nearby.
I know there are already malls in the city but that part of Lucena felt just about right for me. It was bristling with activities. It was organized chaos at some point. But it still had that old-town warmth and charm.
And then suddenly during that walk, Department of Tourism’s (DOT) popular photographer Nestor Dionido walked right beside me and pointed out the most obvious of things to men of all ages. It was something like the white elephant in the room.
Sir Nestor, as I call him, told me to look around and take notice of the fact that Lucena is teeming with beautiful women all around.
I could not help but smile and tap his back. Yup, I was definitely in the company of men during that trip. Mind you, they were good men. Very much a gentleman in how they behave. They were men who readily appreciate beauty, but, at the same time, hold the highest respect for the opposite sex.
And from what I saw during those two days that I spent in Lucena, the city and the entire province of Quezon do hold their women in high regards.
One of the many activities we attended during that time was the coronation night for Binibining Niyogyugan 2016. Never mind the fact that the winner would be called Reyna Ng Niyog, which is a bit cheeky if you ask me, but which I still think it was the appropriate title for the winner.
But here is the thing, most of the municipalities in the province were represented in the pageant that evening. There was also a humongous crowd at the Quezon Convention Center, which had banners, balloons and noise-making apparatus with them, as they supported their respective candidates.
One of those groups that caught my eyes was the medical-technology students from Calayan Educational Foundation. They were still wearing their school uniform and probably tired from a long day of work in school. But they were there in the convention center with their yellow balloons, full of energy and having choreographed movement as they supported their candidate.
One of the students, Clarenelle Capistrano, who herself could make men go breathless, said they were there to support pageant contestant Jamaica Redublo from the municipality of Unisan.
Believe me, the convention center, with a capacity of over 7,000, was a total bedlam and you could hardly hear yourself speak as the candidates paraded onstage during the opening. And the production that was placed in the whole event was just amazing.
Quezon Tourism Office Acting Head Alberto Bay told me the contestants for the pageant were all wearing gowns made from parts of a coconut tree. Created by fashion designers from the province, Bay said the gowns could cost anywhere between P20,000 to P35,000.
That is a lot of cash to spend, especially if you consider the fact that the Reyna Ng Niyog will only receive P30,000 in winnings. And those gowns are tough to put on for the pageant contestants and even tougher to take off. I truly admire those pageant contestants.
If you still do not believe me that Lucena have lots of beautiful women, maybe American Tray Webb and his Filipina wife Ruby can convince you otherwise.
Tray, who hails from Missouri, was there as part of a group of judges for the float competition. But I just have a gut feeling that they were not just there for that or to enjoy the sites of the city.
You see, Tray and Ruby runs a modeling agency based in Metro Manila and they were probably looking for a hidden talent down south.
Tray, who has been in the country for 20 years, has modeled for Gillette and various clothing brands in the past. And trust me, girls, he still looks good in his age.
Speaking of the float parade, I saw a marching band practicing, along with their majorettes, before the parade started. Without even the crowd still to see them, the majorettes were giving it their all, as they danced to the music being played by the marching band. I told myself, there you go, more beautiful women from the province.
As they were dancing, two little girls began to approach and started watching them intently.
There are parades, street dancing and festivals in almost every part of the country. But I still could not help but be captivated and get caught up in the moment. Those are moments worth remembering.
Events like this, really do bring out the child in me both literally and figuratively. Sir Nestor saw the parade in its entirity and took a lot photos of it.
Kudos to DOT Region 4A Director Rebecca Labit for bringing me back to the province and letting me experience the Niyogyugan Festival. A native of Quezon Province herself, Labit is also as beautiful both on the outside and on the inside. And add to that, she is also one of the hardest working individuals in the tourism department.
As the last part of the parade passed me by, the Sariaya municipality float was suddenly in front of our group and their beauty-pageant representative smiled and waved at us. Ladies and gentlemen, the beautiful women of Quezon Province.
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Image credits: Photos by Rodel Alzona