Editors’ Note: We thank Abdon “Jun” M. Balde Jr., noted author, poet and historian from the town of Oas, for allowing us to feature this article, originally written by Reverend Father Dinoy Ras, former Parish Priest of Saint Michael the Archangel, Oas, Albay. This first appeared in the series THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ALBAY posted by Jun Balde on his Facebook page. Father Dinoy Ras wrote about the origin of the Pastora tradition, the contribution of Oas, Albay to the Bicol celebration of Christmas. We conclude this article with the Department of Tourism Region V cultural presentation “EXCITING BICOL PASTORES 2023” held last December 12, 2023, with the participation of 12 Pastores contingents from the Bicol region.

OAS, A TOWN WITH RICH RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS

Oas has its rich religious tradition, and its religious practices and festivities form the core of the culture and way of life of the Oaseños. Already widely known in Bicolandia for its full-component Holy Week celebration highlighted by what is probably the longest and most colorful Good Friday procession anywhere in the country, the small town of devout Catholics which is the region’s top producer of priests comes to life in December with the Christmas celebration that is uniquely Oaseño.

The main mood setters of the season are the Kagharong and the Pastora.  A small band of singers and musicians wakes up the community late at night on December 15 each year with hymns depicting the search of Joseph and Mary for a place to stay in Bethlehem. Going from house to house for token gifts, the Kagharong serenades the town up to the evening of December 24. On Christmas day the Pastora takes over with a premier performance in front of the manger inside the church right after the main morning mass. This event traditionally records the biggest turnover for a mass in Oas with visitors coming from the neighboring towns among the crowd. Thirteen colorful performers singing and dancing to tunes much older than most Christmas songs, the Pastora depicts the merriment of the shepherds in Bethlehem during the first Christmas. Over the years it has lived on and even spread to other parts of Bicol. Today it is regarded as the Christmas legacy of the people of Oas.

ORIGIN OF THE PASTORA TRADITION

The Pastora is the creation of Doña Demetria Ricato-Reniva of Mayao, a barangay of Oas near the poblacion, who lived in the latter part of the Spanish period. Schooled by the Spanish nuns of Colegio de Santa Isabel in Naga City, she taught music and the Alfabeto to young children thereby earning the title Maestra Metring from the appreciative community. She was a philanthropist and patroness of culture, and owns one of the very few grand pianos in all of Albay province. Each year is a nine-month season of music and prayers in Doña Metring’s big house. A devotee of Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buenviaje, she was the permanent Hermana Mayor of the Flores de Mayo of Oas. Every night during the month of May, the novena at her house would be a festival of prayers, songs, and dances, shower of petals for the Virgin, and the very popular “tangran”, or token gifts for everybody. These tokens are in the form of native cakes called ibus, latik, suman, binasoso, binotong, and very fresh eggs.

The rigid preparation for the Pastora begins immediately after the May festival. All the Zagalas of the performers of the May shower vie for berth in the two Pastora groups to be formed for Christmas—a junior group composed of young children and a senior team composed of the best-looking teenagers in Oas. Each group will have only thirteen performers with the prettiest lass taking the prestigious title of capitana. Membership in the Pastora is a source of family pride and honor. Graduates of Maestra Metring’s famous Pastora grow up being treated by the community like today’s beauty queens.

MUSIC, DANCE AND COSTUMES

The Pastora is a song and dance ensemble in colorful costumes and supported by a small string band. The training phase starts with the learning the lively Spanish songs composed by the Maestra herself. All candidates have to master the songs which means measuring up to the high standards imposed by Doña Metring. The lettered Grand Dame insisted that her pastores pronounced the Spanish words correctly.

The second phase involves learning the dance routine for every song, also under the accompaniment of the Maestra’s prized piano. The line-up for the two groups is finalized at this point with the selection process by itself regularly turning into a major news event in the small community. Those who qualify report for practice twice each week. Maestra Metring’s job is about half done by this time. The next takes on the task of training a group of mobile musicians since her piano is of no use in street dancing. The Reamucio family of string musicians, known for their pet name “Maibug”, who, to this day, have carried on the tradition passed on by their forefathers several generations ago, was picked for this chore.

By October, the two groups finally get to practice their numbers with the street musicians. Then the girls are measured for their uniforms, two sets each, to sustain the daily grind from December 25 to the feast of the Three Kings on January 6. The Maestra plans her preparations so meticulously she even ensures that her wards sport the same hair length by December. Pastora performs on the streets around the town for cash gifts from their generous townmates. It is also seen in the neighboring towns of Ligao and Polangui. It is a measure of its significance to the Oasnon culture that some households even feel slighted when by-passed by the Pastora. Today the Pastora lives on under the tutelage of a new Maestra—Marichu Rayala-Ravago—whose imaginative choreography has won laurels for Oas in the annual Pastora competitions in Legazpi City. The Maibugs are still doing the Pastora music, and the young girls continue to demonstrate the rich religious tradition of Oas, the place where the Pastora began many years ago.

EXCITING BICOL PASTORES 2023

The Department of Tourism in Region 5, the Albay provincial government and the Legazpi City government have joined efforts to preserve the tradition through the annual Bicol Pastores musical competition.

Last December 12, 2023, DOT Region V presented EXCITING BICOL PASTORES 2023 at the Albay Astrodome, Old Albay District, Legazpi City, . The annual event showcased elaborate performances by 12 contingents from different parts of Bicol.

The Sarong Banggui Dance Troupe from Sto. Domingo, Albay, took home the title of CHAMPION for this year’s Exciting Bicol Pastores, winning with both Bicolano pride and unique display of cultural appreciation.

We congratulate the winning Pastores of 2023 listed below:

OVER-ALL WINNERS

• CHAMPION: Sarong Banggui Dance Troupe (Sto. Domingo, Albay)
• 1^ST RUNNER-UP: Oas Pastores (Oas, Albay)
• 2^ND RUNNER-UP: Tanghal Kulturang CamNorteño Pastores (Talisay, Camarines Norte)

BEST IN MUSICALITY

• 1^ST PLACE – Sarong Banggui Dance Troupe (Sto. Domingo, Albay)
• 2^ND PLACE – San Juan Bautista Pastores (Tabaco City)
• 3^RD PLACE – Parau Pastores (Pilar, Sorsogon)

BEST IN COSTUME

• 1^ST PLACE – Sarong Banggui Dance Troupe (Sto. Domingo, Albay)
• 2^ND PLACE – Oas Pastores (Oas, Albay)
• 3^RD PLACE – Parau Pastores (Pilar, Sorsogon)

BEST IN STREET DANCING

• 1^ST PLACE – Tanghal Kulturang CamNorteño Pastores (Talisay, Camarines Norte)
• 2^ND PLACE – Parau Pastores (Pilar, Sorsogon)
• 3^RD PLACE – Sarong Banggui Dance Troupe (Sto. Domingo)

The other Pastores contingents were: Niño Hesus Pastores (Oas, Albay), Banwang Legazpiños Pastores Performing Arts (Legazpi City), Malilipot Glimmers Pastores (Malilipot, Albay), Pastores De Divino Rostro (Tabaco, Albay), Bailarenas De Tiwi Pastores (Tiwi, Albay), Daraw Calabanga Pastores (Calabanga, Camarines Sur), and San Mateo Camaligan Dancers (Camaligan, Camarines Sur).

HIGHTLIGHTS: STREET DANCING

HIGHLIGHTS: STAGE PRESENTATION

(Image credits: Header – Bicolonang Rabas; Highlights – Street Dancing and Stage Performance – DOT Region V)