Anthropologists have been wont to say that holidays (in our case, fiestas) reflect a culture's values. When our fiestas are being turned into an enormous sales event, what exactly does that say about our culture? When our religious feast like the Peñafrancia Fiesta is persistently being viewed and employed as an occasion to draw in "tourists" and corporate sponsors alike, and literally "cash in" on them, what does this say about officials of our local government and business institutions, our media practitioners, and yes, our religious leaders? What does it say about us as a people?
These questions are provoked in view of the report of the Naga City government's decision to launch its own "Viva Naga, Viva Bicolandia" festival. If that news report is to be believed, this festival is deemed separate from the religious celebration of INA's fiesta. "Viva Naga, Viva Bicolandia" is being defended from religious scrutiny as being outside the novena or fiesta week and thus is not, technically, part of the Peñafrancia Fiesta.
Be that as it may, we ask: what is it celebrating then? Of what is it a festival? For while it may have deflected religious criticism (this remains arguable though), this decision by Mayor Jesse Robredo's administration is not immune to ethical or moral critique.
Obviously exploiting the devotees' cry of "Viva la Virgen!," Naga's "Viva Naga, Viva Bicolandia" festival is clearly parasitic of INA's religious feast. Proven wrong by its own Tricentenary executive committee but not wanting to submit to the solemnity demanded by the Peñafrancia fiesta, the embarrassed Naga City government chooses-like a petulant child-to stage its own fiesta. Yet absurdly enough, its festival is without an authentic reason for celebration. Unless, of course, one recognizes that having a festival for the sake of just having a festival is an authentic reason.
Or is it Naga City government's persistent attempt to have a non-religious festival for the sake of tourism, sales, and profit, by appealing to the celebration of a religious occasion, INA's fiesta? This is undoubtedly parasitic.
We believe that the protection of the devotion to INA requires combating this parasite of a festival. While we have no opposition against the holding of non-religious celebrations in which trade fairs, corporate sponsorships, military parades, and beauty pageants are part of; to use INA's fiesta as a marketing strategy (as is obvious with the "Viva" tagline) for these activities is morally objectionable. It is especially worse for a political leadership which has taken the high moral ground by being affiliated with a movement such as the "Kaya Natin!"
Our fiestas reflect our culture's values, anthropologists say. What does a celebration like "Viva Naga, Viva Bicolandia" say about the values of those who conceived and acquiesced to such a festival?