Kabkaban Festival
The festival is not just a religious fanfare in honor of the town’s patroness, St. Catherine of Alexandria, but a cultural catalogue of the town’s historical periods and industry. Kabkaban Festival is a ritual dance believed to be a way of driving away bad spirits. The term is taken from a kind of grass that is so abundant in the place. This annual activity is one of the highlights of Carcar's fiesta in honor of its patroness, St. Catherine of Alexandria.
Carcar became a city on July 7, 2007. On November 19, 2008, The City of Carcar was demoted along with 2 other cities in Cebu and 13 other cities in the Philippines. The Supreme Court ruled that the 16 cities did not pass the requirements for cityhood. In 2005, Metro Cebu's definition was expanded to include Danao City in the north and the municipality of San Fernando and the city of Carcar down south.
The festival is named after the kabkab, a fern found in Carcar. The city, however, is arguably more famous for its heritage houses, lechon and chicharon Also, Carcar is known for its locally-made shoes. Bolo making and basket weaving are also some of the prevalent cottage industries among the Carcaranons are also into wooden furniture manufacturing and antique reproduction.
The festival is now on its 12th year and has revolved around varied themes. In the previous years, they presented the products and companies of Carcar, as well as its role as a center of music and arts even before the Spanish and American times. They also held a float parade. In 2011, Kabkaban Festival depicted the life and times of Pantaleón Villegas, more popularly known as León Kilat, the revolutionary killed in Carcar in April 1898.
Carcaranons and balikbayans flocked to the plaza to witness the festival, held in time for the city’s annual fiesta in honor of Sta. Catalina. Every time the festival was held, the street is so colorful and every individual are very busy because they are preparing for annual or ritual dance showdown and street dancing. Everyone is welcome to visit and join the said event and I assured to you that you will enjoy the event.
