SiLLaG 2016

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"I was never a fan of Marching Bands before but the moment they performed the Abba's songs, Mamma Mia and The winner takes it all... I clapped my heart out after their performance"

-pagnapagna

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-my pagnapagna-

Day 1
(April 8, 2016 a Friday)

I alighted from the jeep that brought me inside Poro Point Freeport Zone just near the festival's entrance arch. The ride was free to all who will be going to the festival from the downtown area.
It was a very hot day as I walked on a road leading to the staging area and passed by the trade & food fair at one side of the road.
At the ground of the stage were the runners getting ready for the fun run "Sunset Run for Hope".
I took some photographs and videos and just strolled around.

The festival's entrance arch

I learned that there was a Zumba "Rhythmic Bodies by the Bay" earlier that afternoon and I did not got a chance to see it.

There were also a "car show" along the entrance road but I noticed that if you have seen them before, like I did last year, the interest seems to dwindle. I think I was looking for something new or it must be the very hot climate under the afternoon sun.

I went back to the staging area where a concert was going on by some, maybe, local bands.

I just stood at the top of the seawall by the bay and enjoyed the ambiance of the festival. Beside me were some of the coast guards in orange tee shirts guarding the seashore. It was a no entering beyond that point going towards the sea.

Even though there were still some activities and programs that had to start, I decided to leave early. I don't want to get caught in the crowd when the night's shows end. 
As I walked my way out to get a ride, the immense crowd was just coming in.

Day 2

(April 9, 2016 a Saturday)

I was with my mother. 

It was still very hot around 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

My mother sat on the bench of one of the sheds along the baywalk area. I went on to stroll around and sat on the gutter under the shade of another shed along the baywalk which was filled with people who were also avoiding the hot afternoon sun.

After a few minutes, I stood ready to leave when a woman from the shed, just at my back,  approached me and asked me if I was the one who is the "pagnapagna" (my blog). She told me that she follows my blog in the web. They were from Baguio City and just came from Bauang where they visited one of the grape farms there. We had a short conversation and maybe because of my little "shyness" I did not got to ask her name. I thanked them and said, "Enjoy the Festival" (even though it was very hot at that time). 

I have my mother on sight as I walked around.

The show started with a performance of the PMA (Philippine Military Academy) Marching Band and Silent drill. 

PMA Marching Band and Silent Drill
At the last part was just for the sake of wacky entertainment
wherein they were dancing in the tune of Black eyed peas'  "My Humps", "Twerk it Like Miley", "Watch me (whip/nae nae)", "Chinito", "Girl on Fire" and other modern pop music.

Just before the sun sets, the Street Dancing started with a parade displaying their costumes with lights here and there.

Even when the night's event was not finished yet, we left at around 6:30 to 7 o'clock. This is again to avoid the crowd after the night's event.

[Below is a video of the street dance parade (edited music to avoid copyright questioning during upload). In reality, they were parade-dancing to the song "Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas"]

Day 3

(April 10, 2016 a Sunday)

I was having second thoughts of visiting the festival that day. The heat, the crowd and the race to get a public transport as well as the heavy traffic were running wild inside my head and beside i have more important things to do.

Oh what the heck, I did attend anyway!

I strolled around and found the ongoing volleyball tournament at one area and just few meters away was the fireworks being prepared for the night's finale.

Next thing there were some confetti in the air dropped by a helicopter that flew by.

All people, including me, had their cameras pointed upwards as at 60,000 feet altitude, from the helicopter, one by one the sky divers slowly came falling down, they landed one after the other at the old Sillag Festival grounds. 

Into the late afternoon towards early evening, the Marching Bands put up a great performance.
Although I was never been a fan of marching bands before, but the moment they performed the Abba's songs "Mamma mia" and "the winner takes it all"... I clapped my heart out after their performance.
I'm now a converted fan :-)
It really stuck on my head and I still (as of time of writing) had a LSS (last song Syndrome) for that song "Mamma mia".

♫
♪The song goes:♪
♬ "Yes, I've been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go
Mamma mia, now I really know
My my, I could never let you go" ♬
♫

[A video of the Philippine Coast Guard Band's and Philippine Marine Drum and Bugle Team's performance. 
Please forgive the shaky hand that filmed it :-)]

Afterwards, with the same reasons as the other passed two days, I left the festival and safely arrived at home around 7:30 in the evening.

I checked on the schedule of Sillag's fireworks display at the web.

It says:

9:00 PM          Pyromusical Show

So at around 20 minutes before 9 o'clock, on that same night, I rode a tricycle and went down by the bay at barangay Catbangen. From across the bay, the Poro Point can be seen (Poro Point was at the other side of the bay). I was just in time as the lights, like a strobe light, started to blink on and off at the distant festival area. 
As it was too dark that I can't set my camera on the tripod, I started filming even without the tripod. 
My hand gets shaky as I filmed.
Lights burst into the distant sky above the Sillag village.
For a moment it sparkled.
Finally after a few minutes and the last firecrackers were fired bursting into the night, the sky was dark again.
There was the usual silence.
 It was over. 
The Sillag, Poro Point Festival of Lights 2016 had just been concluded.

-end of pagnapagna-

Video bits of Day 3 April 10, 2016

For the Sillag Festival 2013 CLICK HERE

For the Sillag Festival 2015 CLICK HERE

For the Poro Point Lighthouse CLICK HERE

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Some Photographs

Under the heat of the sun, by the baywalk, different teams had a volleyball competition.

"Cosplay", It's an A-okay.!

There were kite flying and the kite were free to use.

The Sky divers (Military) were instant celebrities after they had landed.

Subject : SiLLaG - Poro Point Festival of Lights
                 (Celebrated around summer - April)

Location:  Poro Point Baywalk
                 Barangay of Poro
                 City of San Fernando
                 Province of La Union
How to get there:

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