Turumba Festival – commemorating the seven sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Festival

During the months of April and May every year, the Turumba Festival is celebrated by the people of Pakil in the province of Laguna, commemorating the seven sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is held seven times each year within April and May.  It is a seven-day feast in honor of the Lady of Sorrows highlighted with procession and dance in the turumba song.The first celebration starts on Good Friday and the last falls on the Pentecoast Sunday.
Pakil is well-known for the Turumba. Statue of the Virgin is carried on the devotee’s shoulders and brought to the seashore,  and back to the church in a grand procession.
The festival is known to be the country’s largest and the longest celebration of its kind. Thousands of devotees from nearby towns and provinces flock to the celebration to participate.
Turumba pertains to the dance and procession that is held at the end of lupi. The whole event is called Pistang Lupi held on specific dates in correspondence to the seven sorrows of the Nuestra Señora delos Dolores. Following the novena is the Turumba procession.
The first lupi called the Biyernes de Dolores, is the commemoration of the day the image of Our Lady was seen floating in Laguna de Bay. Other lupi are as follows: Pistang Martes, Pistang Biyatiko, Pistang Byernes, Pistang Linggo, Pistang Pag-akyat, and Pistang Pagpanaog.

Origin

Some fishermen saw a picture of the Blessed Mother along Laguna de Bay during the 18th century. The image was brought by the fishermen to the nearest church they could reach. It became too difficult for the men to bring the image off-board the boat as the image suddenly became too heavy to carry. People gather in the scene the next day because news has spread about the immovable image. As the arrival of the priest, he and the townsfolks made a vow that an annual pilgrimage will be held in her honor, and only then they have succeeded to bring the image to the church.
On their way to the church, few people started singing and dancing praising the Blessed Virgin Mary. This started the turumba and devotees these days sing and dance for the event.

History

A french named Paul dela Gironiere, a naval surgeon, wrote the description of the Turumba Festival entitled  Twenty Years in the Philippines in the 19th century, although he had a different version about the origin of the festival.
He claimed that the festival started with an American in a boat which capsized during a storm in Laguna de Bay. Making a vow to avoid the threatening mishap, that he would hold a procession in honor of the Blessed Virgin if he manage to reach the shore unharmed.
Happened so, he fulfilled his vow and while dancing, he cried “turumba, turumba!”, of which Phlippine historians found an implausable explanation for the story was said to not accounting any of the unique features of the Turumba Festival, even the usage of the word.

The Scoop

Once, cookies are used in commemorating the feast of the saints. An important medium in communicating, they also project the image of the saints.
In Pakil, this deed is still observed. Pakil cookies represent the Virgin of Turumba and available during her feast. Cardboard outlined with the image of the Virgin atop the cookies, with details in series of punchers. Townspeople of Pakil believe these cookies brings the spirit of celebrating the Turumba in completion.

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