ANGONO's HIGANTES: What's with the Swag?

Before mascots and Cosplay, the Filipinos during the Spanish colonization period already had higantes. Not the one to be left out of this famous festival in the artistic town of Angono in Rizal, I took the advantage of taking photos with these colorful gigantic papier-mâché (French for "chewed paper") that are paraded on the streets on the 23rd of November.

Giants got my back!

But I have always been curious why all these giants have their hands on their hips with heads held up high. It would have been more interesting to see them in various hand gestures and head tilts.

It turned out that Higantes Festival has an interesting origin:

Angono used to be a huge Spanish hacienda. In an overt effort to convert the Filipinos to Christianity, the Spaniards prohibited our forefathers to celebrate our own festivities. As a protest, our ancestors took advantage of the only festivity they were allowed to celebrate - the feast of San Clemente, patron saint of fishermen - by making giant papier-mâché (or an effigy) that look like the oppressive hacienderos.

Nowadays, the higantes portray the 13 barangays' industries and personalities (which explains the sash that read: Paredes Funeral. Haha.)

Standing mighty proud with the 'higantes.'

Source on Higantes' history: www.meetmanila.com