The emcee announced a segment of the festival, a stop dance for the higantes. More than fifty effigies made from papier-mâché gathered at the front of Angono Plaza. They played stop dance as a homage to a childhood game. The humor came from the emcees calling out the ousted giants. They named prominent figures like “Jose Rizal” and “Tiamzon” and even business-owned higantes. The emcee shouted, “SM Savemore, tanggal ka na!” as 10-foot-tall giants waddled with their hands on their waists. They bowed down and danced to music created specifically for the festival.
For the people of Angono, the Higantes Festival traces its roots to farmers and fisherfolk resisting oppressive hacienderos. These landowners limited celebrations for their patron saint, San Clemente, to a single annual fiesta. As a form of resistance, they crafted papier-mâché figures. These figures symbolized the haciendero families. The giants represented their status. They were mocked with exaggerated sharp noses and commanding stature. Creative protests are among the most interesting forms of action. They show how people resist oppression and surveillance. They utilize wit, color, and symbols to convey their message.
According to some accounts, Carlos Botong Francisco and Angono-based artists such as Vocalan, Nemiranda, and Blanco reintroduced the festival. They recreated these figures to reflect the rich culture and heritage of Angono, its devotion to St. Clement. It proudly features a vibrant mosiko tradition with colorful flags, batons, and exhibitions. These celebrations are supported by homegrown bands such as Banda Uno, conducted by Lucio San Pedro, National Artist for Music. Banda Dos and other skillful local groups also participate.
This year, the Higantes Festival took place on November 16, and the Feast of St. Clement was celebrated on November 23. In the past, the higantes parade coincided with the fiesta. Over time, it became separate from the feast of St. Clement. This official separation was articulated as municipal policy around 2014.
The parade stretches from Quezon Avenue around the vicinity of the plaza and is joined by the barangays. Typically, young men carry the higantes, seeing only through a small hole. It is common for the higantes to lean down toward children to scare them. Children often jump around and provoke the giants to dance. The higantes recognize the natives. These are the townspeople whose families have long lived in Angono. They bow down to the lolas and lolos in the gesture known as “Mano po”.
In recent years, brands and businesses have joined the festival and created their own versions of the higantes. This provided opportunities for local businesses to continue the legacy and also allowed them to promote their products. It also attracted multinational companies including Jollibee, Savemore, TNT, and Helix Aggregates. Meanwhile, the number of higantes made by local artisans and barangays has slowly been declining.
The event marked the celebration of the Feast of St. Clement, the patron saint of fisherfolk. On November 23, the townspeople gathered in the streets of Angono. They carried water that symbolized blessings from the saint. This act reflected the deep devotion of the people. People from all walks of life participated. They brought their old tabo, timba, water guns, and water hoses. They used these to splash passersby and even the marching band.
Water has played a significant role in the culture and socioeconomics of Angono. As developments around the lake continue, many fishermen shift to different forms of work. The town is also among the municipalities included in the Laguna Lakeshore Project. The higantes serves as municipality’s river monitoring system in the Angono River. It is interesting how this cultural figure was transformed into an easy-to-understand flood control identifier. Young higantes are painted yellow for a yellow warning. The mother higante is painted orange for an orange warning. The father higante is painted red for a red warning. This system helps the community quickly understand rising water levels brought by typhoons and heavy rains.
The Feast of St. Clement honors the town’s culture rooted in devotion and fishing. A fluvial procession on Laguna de Bay carries the image of St. Clement on a decorated barge. The image is then brought ashore and paraded through the town in a ritual known as pag-ahon. Outside of their homes, they welcome St. Clement with water, for blessings, safe voyages, and for fisherfolks, a bountiful catch. The remnants of once a predominantly fishing community is shown in the participation of the “parejadoras”. These young women dress in fishermen’s attire. They carry paddles and nets. This reflects the livelihood of the town and its deep connections to fishing.
The Higantes Festival and the celebration of the Feast of St. Clement together paint a picture of stories about resilience, resistance, and the ways water has shaped life in Angono.
Understanding the festival’s historical roots grants insight into celebration, devotion, and resistance. Observing how it has been adapted in the present deepens this understanding. The higantes function as both symbols of joy and reminders of past oppression.
