The Much Awaited Bangkero Festival of Pagsanjan

Bangkero or boatman is derived from a boatman guide that sails the “Bangka” going to the Pagsanjan Falls and shooting or hitting the rapids on its way to the downstream.

The even usually happens during 1^st week of March. Many activities in Pagsanjan held including this boat race, land and fluvial parades, traditional street dancing cook-off challenge, concert, sport events, annual search for "Ginoong Bangkero" and "Lakan at Binibining Pagsanjan.

The celebration is a tribute to "Bankeros" who are famous in shooting the rapids and for the Patron of "Our Lady of Guadalupe" and to hail them on continuing the eco-tourism of the province and deriving a great source of income for the locals. Azooki can curate a Pagsanjan Falls Tour as you visit the Philippines.

It is interesting to note that within Pagsanjan is a delta that separates the waters from the rapids into the Bumbungan and Balanac rivers, which empty out into Laguna de Bay. That is why the name Pagsanjan is most fitting for the falls—“pinagsanghan” meaning, “branching.”  The rapids flow into one river, which branches out into two rivers to facilitate travel and trade. And so because of these surrounding rivers, Pagsanjeños became excellent swimmers, boatmen, and boat builders, and remain so to this very day.

However, it was brought to anyone’s attention that boat building has become a rarity in Pagsanjan.  The reason for this according to locals is that the lawaan, the wood used for building boats, is becoming rarer and terribly expensive.  These days, it costs as much as Php 20,000 for one lawaan tree to be carved into a bangka.

Still, this problem has never stopped the boat builders from pursuing their craft for bangka repairs, even now, are aplenty—more so in the days leading to the Bangkero Festival.

Moreover, the festival also has other interesting activity to join and watch. They also held a local boxing match wherein the bout is participated by gays and or lesbians. This funny scenario drove a lot of tourists and locals alike watching both gays eagerly fighting like a girl.

As the night comes, locals living nearby gather in the long stretch of Pagsanjan River up to the falls and offer a floating flower with candle in the river. They annual do this kind of tradition to commence the great income the river gives and to console that the river shouldn’t take any life again.