Last April 26 – May 1, 2023, the municipality of Liliw in Laguna marked its 19th Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival. Prior to this year’s celebration, the last festival was held back in 2019 and we are all well aware of what happened next due to the COVID19 pandemic. Nevertheless, after 4 years of waiting patiently, the Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival was finally back and it was as colorful as ever!
A Little Information about Liliw
If Pansol in Laguna is popular for its hot springs, Liliw, on the other hand, is quite famous for its cold springs. The quaint little town of Liliw is located approximately three hours from Manila (by public transportation, depending on city traffic) between the municipalities of Nagcarlan to the west and Majayjay to the east.
Read: Laguna: A Journey to Discovering Kilangin Falls of Liliw
One of the iconic landmarks in Liliw is the stunning red bricked, baroque style, centuries-old Saint John the Baptist Parish Church commonly known as Liliw Church or Lilio Church. Fittingly, behind the church, serving as its backdrop is Mt. Banahaw, which many believe as a “Holy Mountain”.
A Brief History – Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival
The town of Liliw is known as the “Tsinelas Capital of Laguna”, favored for its production of quality yet affordable footwear that started back in the early 1930s. Most, if not all of the tsinelas in the shops were made locally. The shops do not have huge factories manufacturing their goods; they are crafted from their backyard workshops.
To boost the town’s tourism, the Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival was launched. The name Gat Tayaw was in honor of the town’s founder. Given that the tsinelas-making industry in Liliw was already well established, one of the better ways to promote the townsfolk ingenuity was via a festival.
Even though the footwear industry started a long time ago, the first Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival only took place on April 5 – 7, 2002 with the former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the guest of honor, no less. Since then, the Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival progressed to becoming a weeklong annual event that is usually celebrated between the last week of April and first week of May. It has been highlighting not just the esteemed tsinelas but also other products that Liliw is known for like the Lambanog and Uraro not to mention the genuine hospitality of Liliweños.
Events & Activities
To kick off the 19th Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival, a huge mural was inaugurated. The artwork depicting what Liliw is renowned for was stretched along the Nagcarlan – Liliw Road. Aptly positioned to welcome or de-greet everyone who will be entering or exiting the town proper.
Here are some of the classic activities that were in the calendar.
Retaso, Tsinelas on the Ramp – a showcase of the creativity of local designers in crafting stunning dresses out of materials (typically trimmings) that are used in making the tsinelas.
Pinakamalaki at Magandang Tsinelas – The biggest and most beautiful footwear contest
Pinakamagandang Gayak ng Tindahan – Most beautifully decorated shop contest
Mutya ng Liliw – A pageant search for the young woman who exudes confidence and possesses not just beauty but wits too.
Lukayuan – from the word “Lukayo” meaning to hide one’s identity. A street parade where the participants cover themselves with fresh or dried leaves and other indigenous materials and wear masks as disguise. Only the residents of Barangay Ibabang Sungi observed this tradition in the past. Eventually, since the barangay is also part of Liliw, it was decided to incorporate the practice in the annual Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival.
Bailete – a street dance parade hyped up by groups of drummers, majorettes and marching bands playing different kinds of wind instruments. The parade participants come from the different sectors of the community. What’s unique about this parade was that some of those who joined were carrying plastic bottles or pitchers of Lambanog. They were passing around some shots of the local liquor as they moved along the entire parade route. Even the spectators were not spared from being offered a shot or two. I have witnessed it myself and I must say that it was one of my favorite activities from the whole event.
But the fun do not just stop with the street dance parades, games and exhibition of talents. They have also invited artists from the entertainment and music scene to give the people a free concert experience on 2 of the nights. The organizers have lined up quite a lot of activities for this year; it was a much-awaited event after all.
Food, Music and Street Party!
A festival will not be complete without food. All around the town of Liliw, there is a wide array of restaurants and food hubs to choose from and visitors can surely find something to suit their palates. Food kiosks with diverse offerings were also put up for the duration of the festival and in anticipation of the crowd. It was located on one of the alleys intersecting with Gat Tayaw Street, the heart of the festival scene.
Read: Liliw, Laguna: Just Can’t Get Enough of Kuya Bal’s Chao Fan
More than half of the whole stretch of Gat Tayaw Street was closed from traffic every afternoon. As soon as the heat of the sun became bearable, there was a continuous flow of visitors both locals and tourists who frolicked the main street. The blocking of the road was also done to give space for business owners to set up their outdoor bars. Each of the bar also has its own DJ playing music atop a mini stage. From 7:00 pm up until closing time, these bars were packed. It was truly remarkable! Liliweños certainly know how to party.
Until the Next Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival
Everyone was in a festive mood and it was such a great immersive experience to attend the weeklong celebration of the 19th Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival. But festival or not, be sure to visit as there are lots of things to do and places to go to in Liliw. See you, until the next…
Baleng Ganda, Baleng Saya, Tara na sa Liliw, Laguna!
To know more, visit the official Liliw Turismo Facebook Page
How to Get to Liliw
Via San Pablo City (Bus)
From Buendia, take a JAC Liner bus bound for San Pablo City or Lucena, alight at San Pablo City. If the bus is not going inside San Pablo City town proper, inform the conductor to drop you off along the highway in front of Jollibee near the Medical Center (after SM City San Pablo). Travel time is approximately two hours.
In front of Jollibee, take a tricycle and ask the driver to take you to the jeepney stop bound for Liliw (it’s next to the fire station, near San Pablo Cathedral). Travel time from San Pablo City to Liliw takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
BE A RESPONSIBLE TRAVELER.
RESPECT THE PLACES THAT YOU WILL VISIT.
LEAVE NO TRACE.
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How about you? Have you attended the Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival? How was your experience? We would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts.
