Angono

The Bisperas Mayores or the day before the feast day was celebrated with a parade of the marching bands and drum and lyres sponsored by each barangay of Angono, this was held in the morning and early afternoon. The morning parade usually starts in Rainbow Village and ends at the church patio where the devotees again dances in praise and thanksgiving while the marching bands are playing. The afternoon parade are also joined by the higantes, local government officials and employees, commercial establishments in Angono, schools and other Angono socio and civic groups.

The celebration on the morning of November 23 starts with a concelebrated mass with the Bishop of Antipolo. The procession follows after the mass with the parehadoras, higantes and devotees joining the image of St. Isidore the Laborer, Pope St. Clement I and the Virgin Mary in a procession leading to the banks of Laguna de Bay in Barangay San Vicente for the fluvial procession, fishes like kanduli, tilapia and bangus which are caught by the fishermen devotees during the fluvial procession are displayed near the image of Pope St. Clement I. The images, devotees and member of the band ride the pagoda for the procession in the lake which will end at the other side of the lake in Barangay Poblacion Ibaba. The road procession again will start with merry making of parehadoras, higantes and wet devotees that will end in the church. Filipino artistry is truly alive in every celebration in Angono.

The feast of Christ the King which was held on the Sunday before the 1st Sunday of Advent usually coincides with the feast of Pope St. Clement I. The Viva San Clemente! celebration banners usually includes “Mabuhay ang Kristong Hari !” slogans to remind the people that Christ is the Lord and to proclaim Christ as the King of all nations. This is also a reminder that Pope St. Clement I is only a servant of God which somehow does not need adoration of the people because our Lord has already given him the highest honor – a blessing of a Saint – Angono’s patron and inspiration. Viva San Clemente

Pope St. Clement I was the fourth pope of the Catholic Church after Pope St. Peter the prince of the apostles, Pope St. Linus, and Pope St. Anacletus. He faithfully proclaim Christ during his time and till he was martyred by being thrown into the sea with an iron anchor. The people of Angono celebrate Pope St. Clement I's feast day with a fluvial procession in the waters of Laguna de Bay as a reminder and inspiration of his faith in God.

Higantes, along Angono Municipal Hall.

Angono’s joyous fiesta in honor of Pope St. Clement I whose image, resplendent in papal vestments, is held November 22–23, and involves a procession accompanied by parehadoras devotees dressed in colorful local costumes, wooden shoes and carrying boat paddles and higantes, giant papier-mâché effigies. The street event culminates in fluvial procession at the Laguna de Bay amidst revelry that continues until the image is brought back to its sanctuary.

Higantes Festival is now promoted as tourism-generating event in the country. This attracts numerous tourists from all over the world.

It was said that the higantes started during the Spanish colonial times. When Angono was once a hacienda and ruled by Spanish hacienderos The Guido. The Angono land tillers way of protesting their struggle is by making giant effigy of their landlords whose hands are usually high up on their waist.

The body of the traditional higante are made of bamboo and colorful cloth and its faces of papier-mâché. The three old higantes of Angono consists of the family of giants – the father, mother and child higante, they traditionally add color and fun during the fiesta celebration. It was in the 80s when then Angono artist Perdigon Vocalan brought the idea of the Higantes Festival by going out of the traditional family of giants and advocating having more higantes in the fiesta by coordinating with the barangays of Angono to come up with Higantes that will represent their barangay. At present, the Higantes of Angono can be seen in fiesta celebrations around the Philippines and in national cultural presentations, the major being the Centennial Parade in the Quirino Grandstand for the Philippine Centennial celebration in 1998.

The higantes are made of papier-mâché. Higantes measures four to five feet in diameter and ten to twelve feet in height. Traditionally, it began in the last century when Angono was a Spanish hacienda. This higantes was influenced by the Mexican art form of papier-mâché brought by the Spanish priests to the Philippines.

The traditional parehadoras are group of young girls holding paddles and wearing bakya or wooden slippers and dressed in a colorful outfit which joins the procession in the feast day of Pope St. Clement I. They usually march at the beat of the band playing alongside with them. Now with a dying lake, the tradition of the Parehadora is now just a reminder that Angono was once a fishing village and thrives at the harvest of Laguna Lake.

Black Saturday is highlighted by 3-hour presentation of “Vigilia na Muling Pagkabuhay” at the patio of the church. On Easter Sunday, a celebration is held of the reunion of the Risen Christ with Virgin Mary is reenacted. It is facilitated by young girl inside an inverted giant paper flower suspended the removal of the mourning veil from Mary’s head by a from bamboo trellis. The petals are mechanically opened by giant toy birds to reveal the girl inside. It is then followed by a religious dancing of young ladies called “Kapitana” and “Tenyenta”, to the tune of “Bati”.

• ALC High School
• Angono Christian School
• Angono National High School
• Angono Private High School
• Baby Jesus Chrissamore Learning Center
• Blanco Family Academy
• Charis Praise Christian Academy
• Christ the King College of Angono
• Colegio De San Clemente
• Crossmount School of Arts and Trades
• Eastern Light College
• Faderoga's Learning Center
• Gingergrace Academe
• Holy Deliverance Integrated Christian School
• Hope Academy
• Jason Harvey Academy
• Jonathan T.M. Caballero Academy of Special Needs
• Joyland Playschool Childcare and Learning Center
• Lakeside Hills Learning School
• Little Footprints Playschool and Tutorial Center
• Little Lambs Learning Center
• Maranatha Christian Academy
• Marrieve of Light School
• Mind Slot Integrated School
• New Hope in Faith School
• Praise Christian Academy
• Raises Academy
• Regional Lead School for the Arts in Angono
• Seven Angels College
• Shinil Cristian Academy
• St. Catherine Learning Center
• St. Martin Montessori School
• Santo Entiero Learning Center