BOAC TOWN FIESTA 2014 AND TYPHOON RUBY (INTERNATIONAL CODE: HAGUPIT)

TYPHOON RUBY AND BOAC FIESTA 2014 . . . 

AND REMEMBERING OTHER FIESTAS

Despite Typhoon Ruby's fury that is affecting the whole island for the last 72 hours already, I found time to pause, in the disaster operations center of Boac, to remember some memorable Town Fiesta's of Boac as the people are supposed to 'celebrate' the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the 392nd Re-establishment of the pueblo of Boac this day, December 8, 2014. Below is a chronicle of some historically significant fiestas (or the non-celebration of the fiesta!):

Reina en La Expocision, 1910

December 8, 1622: First Fiesta in Boac: The first fiesta in Boac, Marinduque was also the re-establishment of the pueblo in the year 1622 which can be read in the “Jesuit Missions in the Seventeenth Century”. Pedro Murillo Velarde; Manila, 1749, pp. 40-54, which describes the intervening events as follows:

“God chose to prove those people by a sort of epidemic, of which many died . . . this trouble obliged them to resort for aid to the empress of heaven, to whom they offered a fiesta under the title of the Immaculate Conception, during the week before Christmas, with great devotion; and the Virgin responded to them by aiding them in their troubles and necessities.”

Reina de la Fiesta, 1909

This was further reiterated in the “Historia General Sacro-Profana, Política Y Natural De Las Islas Del Poniente Llamadas Filipinas”. Juan José Delgado. Imp. de el Eco de Filipinas, 1892, which narrated the founding of the pueblo of Boac, thus:

“Se fundo esto pueblo de Boac por los PP. Jesuitas en el año de 1622, bajo la advocacion de la Purisima Concepcion.”

December 8, 1887: The  first zarzuela company put up a show in Boac with Patrocinio Tagaroma, Manila’ s finest actress and zarzuelista appearing in person.

 

Fiesta, 1954

December 8, 1898: The first provincial exposition was held in Boac during its town fiesta

December 8, 1899: Civic parade during town fiesta featured the display for public viewing of the Philippine Flag for the first time in an elaborate and symbolical float with a “luz de bengala” held by the daughter of Don Martin Ladizabal.

December 8,  1902: Manuel Quezon, fiscal of Tayabas, Marinduque and Mindoro, came to Boac on its town fiesta to watch the tagalog Zarzuela “Walang Sugat”

Feria-Expocicion en la fiesta, 1922

December 8, 1919: Featuring the Reina De La Fiesta en Boac 1919. The old contest of selecting an annual “Miss Boac” was part of the fiesta tradition.

December 8, 1922: The Boac Boy Scout Trailers joined in the Boac Town Fiesta Exposicion and in the civic parade.

December 8, 1941: Second World War broke out in the Pacific after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, while Boac was celebrating its Town Fiesta

December 8, 1993. Typhoon 'Monang'  (International Code:'Lola') hit the Philippines on 6 December 1993, carrying heavy rains with center winds of 210 km per hour. The typhoon affected Bicol Peninsula on Luzon's eastern coast, specifically the Provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Albay. The provinces of Marinduque Mindoro Oriental and Quezon, were also affected. Massive flooding inundated barangays and the poblacion area’s business district.

DECEMBER 8, 2013: Grand celebration for the town fiesta was cancelled in solidarity with the people who survived Supertyphoon Yolanda (International Code: Haiyan.) Instead, all activities aimed at raising funds to aid the affected families and local government units. The municipality raised almost P150,000.00 which was added to the P500,000.00 allocated by the municipal government for the Yolanda-affected local governments.

Boac Boy Scouts Trailer, 1922

DECEMBER 8, 2014: Marinduque is under Public Storm Warning Signal No. 3 due to Typhoon Ruby (International Code: Hagupit). A couple of hours after the concelebrated Mass (9:00AM) for the 392^nd Immaculate Conception Parish Fiesta Celebration and the 392^nd Re-establishment Anniversary of the Municipality of Boac, where there were already 2,725 families or 7,612 individuals in evacuation centers throughout the barangays of the municipality, Marinduque was in the eye of the typhoon

World War II, 1941

which made third landfall in Torrijos, Marinduque at almost 11:25 AM. 

Below is DOST-Pag-asa's weather bulletin at 11:00AM, December 8, 2014:

"SEVERE WEATHER BULLETIN NUMBER EIGHTEEN
TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING: TROPICAL STORM "RUBY" ("HAGUPIT")
Issued at 11:00 a.m., Monday, 08 December 2014

"RUBY" has weakened into a Tropical Storm as it moves toward the

Flood Gauge @Boac River, 2014

Province of Marinduque.
Location of Center: (as of 10:00 a.m.)  20 km East of Torrijos, Marinduque
Coordinates: 13.3°N, 122.3°E;Strength: Maximum sustained winds of 105 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph; Movement: Forecast to move West Northwest at 10 kph

Forecast Positions/Outlook:
24-hour (Tuesday morning): 85 km Southwest of Quezon City
48 hour (Wednesday morning): 295 km West of Quezon City
72 hour (Thursday morning): 545 km West of Quezon City

Public Storm Warning Signal
PSWS# 3: (Winds of 100 - 185 kph is expected in at least 18 hrs) Bataan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Lubang Island and Southern Quezon
Residents in low-lying and mountainous areas are alerted against flashfloods and landslides. Likewise, those living along the coast are warned on the occurrence of big waves associated with Storm Surge which may reach up to 3 meters.

PSWS# 2:(Winds of 61-100 kph is expected in at least 24 hrs)
Pampanga, Rizal, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rest of Quezon, Occidental Mindoro, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Romblon and Burias Island.
Residents in low-lying and mountainous areas are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides. Likewise, those living along the coast are warned on the occurrence of big waves associated with Storm Surge which may reach up to 2 meters.

PSWS#1: (winds of 30 - 60 kph is expected in at least

Boac Church and the flooded Boac, River (December 8, 2014)

36 hours) Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Polillo Island, Albay, Sorsogon, Ticao Island, Calamian Group of Island and Masbate.Aklan, Capiz and Semirara Island
These areas will have occasional rains with occasional gusty winds.

Expected third landfall: Torrijos, Marinduque between 11AM – 12 NN today and it will be associated with strong winds, storm surge and moderate to heavy rainfall.

Estimated rainfall amount is from 5 – 15 mm per hour (moderate – heavy) within the 450 km diameter of the typhoon.

"TS RUBY" and the Northeast Monsoon will cause rough to very rough sea conditions over the seaboards of Luzon and Visayas. Fisherfolks and those using small sea craft are advised not to venture out over the said seaboards.

Expected to Exit PAR: Thursday morning.
 

Mouth of Boac River, 2014 Dec 8

Public Storm Warning Signal elsewhere has been lifted.

The public and the disaster risk reduction and management council concerned are advised to take appropriate actions and watch for the next weather bulletin to be issued at 5 PM today."

REFERENCES: 

“Jesuit Missions in the Seventeenth Century”. Pedro Murillo Velarde; Manila, 1749, pp. 40-54

“Historia General Sacro-Profana, Política Y Natural De Las Islas Del Poniente Llamadas Filipinas”. Juan José Delgado. Imp. de el Eco de Filipinas, 1892

http://kidlat.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/tropical-cyclone/weather-bulletin-update

www.ulongbeach.com for some pictures

Manuscript on important historical events in Boac, Marinduque in my personal collection.