Sand, sun and sails: How to conquer Iloilo Paraw Regatta

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By Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay
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February 17, 2018
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YOU can feel the festive spirit in the air, with hundreds of tourists and Ilonggos flocking to Villa’s long stretch of beach and sand. The sun shines radiantly, children playing happily in the shallow waters, coastguards circling the seashore, boatmen raising their sails the soft breeze making them flutter.

The calm sound of waves is broken by the sudden boom of signal flares, and like wings propelled by the wind, one by one the vividly painted Paraws take to the sea, racing across the Iloilo-Guimaras strait.

Now on its 46th year, the Iloilo Paraw Regatta Festival continues to be largest sailing celebration in the country and the oldest traditional craft event in Asia. With the theme “Unity amidst the waves of change,” the festival seeks to highlight the unparalleled seafaring abilities of Ilonggos, as well as the creative resourcefulness of local boatmen.

This year marks one of the biggest turn-outs for the festival, with more than 50Paraws joining the sailing race across 3 categories, and nearly 190 boatmen involved.

Paraw Regatta is known for its vibrant layags or sails soaring as high as 15 feet, often colorfully painted with images of rural sea life and depicting the culture and spirit of Iloilo City.

Paraws race a course of more than 30 kilometers, traversing the coasts of Iloilo and Guimaras before returning back to the finish line in Villa beach, the journey taking more or less an hour and a half to finish.

Here’s a few tips for you to get the most out of your Paraw Regatta experience:

1. ARRIVE EARLY.Though the Paraw Regatta Festival is a less manic event compared to say the Dinagyang Festival, traffic can still be your greatest foe when you want to witness the entire competition without worrying about being late.

Arriving as early 6 or 6:30 a.m. at the venue grants you the special opportunity to marvel at the paraws and sails at sunrise – when the boats are still docked by the beach at low tide. Being an early bird not only ensures you’ll have the best vantage point come race starting pistol, it also lets you see the local boatmen priming their sails and preparing for their big race.

Beat the crowd and have your pictures taken while the shore is still calm and you can still hear the waves over the cheers and chatter of your fellow spectators.

2. WEAR FLIPFLOPS OR SANDALS. Don’t make the same mistake I made a few years back when I wore my favorite leather Timberland boat shoes to the beach.

I arrived early and found the perfect sandbank near the boats to take up close photos and witness the parawrace. Little did I know, it was still low tide and by 7 a.m. I was stuck a few meters away from the shore, sea water gradually engulfing the small patch of sand I was standing on, leaving me with no other option but to take off my socks and shoes and wade back to the beach barefoot.

Make sure to wear the appropriate footwear to the event, if you don’t want to go home with wet socks and sea-water-soaked shoes.

3. BRING SUNBLOCK. Though the heat may still be bearable when you arrive at the venue at 7 a.m., by 9 a.m. the sun will already punishingly harsh on your skin. Wearing sunblock and bringing along sunglasses will ensure that you’ll remain in relative comfort during the event despite sun’s unforgiving rays. It also saves you the embarrassment of having to explain a weird tan line that may form on your face, around your glasses.

Others would suggest bringing umbrellas or wide-brimmed sun hats, but these are often cumbersome given the strong winds at Villa beach – not to mention umbrellas often block the view of everyone behind you. If you don’t want to spend the day chasing after your hat blown away by the wind or getting dagger-stares from people whose views you’re obstructing, opt for the sunblock and shades combo instead.

4. EAT YOUR HEART OUT. Paraw Regatta’s main event usually ends just before lunch time, giving you the perfect opportunity to explore the other events along the shore, and enjoy Villa Arevalo’s titillating cuisine.

Villa Arevalo is best known for its lechon, so don’t be shocked to see juicy slices of roasted pork and crispy skin being sold by the kilo at street stalls, while you’re walking down the stretch of beachside restaurants near the Paraw Regatta main pavilion.

Buy a kilo or two of lechon (don’t forget to ask the vendor nicely for some extra slices of crispy skin) and head into your preferred karinderya or resto to enjoy a hearty meal – maybe with some fresh oysters on the side. My personal favorite is Breakthrough Restaurant’s aligue rice – pairing that with some lechon makes for a potentially heart-stopping meal, literally!

First established in 1972, the Iloilo Paraw Regatta Festival, has grown from just a half-day sail racing event. The festivities now include the annual Miss Paraw Regatta pageant, a PintaTawo contest, a National Jet Ski Competition, as well as Beach Volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee tournaments./PN
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