Fiesta Experiences Worth to Remember 

_{Image edited in Canva. Original image pictured by the author.}

Every year, we hold a fiesta in honor of the patron saint of each church. For the first time in a long time, the entire municipality was given permission to visit the church as part of several town activities. Cavite was not yet an official city at the time, but you can see how prosperous it was. Despite the fact that Tanza has met the requirements for cityhood, no legislation has been introduced in Congress. Tanza, I believe, has wonders to offer to other neighboring provinces.

This is the front of the Diocesan Shrine of Saint Augustine. The church was very old and antique since it was built in the mid-19th century, or 1839 to be exact. The beauty of the church is undeniably noticeable due to its natural fading colors, which I think haven’t been painted for more than decades. If you noticed, there was a big clock on the right side of the church. That is functional, though.

In front, there are numerous stone-carved saints representing various apostles of Christ. As you can see, the walls have cracks, indicating that they have been subjected to multiple natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes.

My cousins and I joined the long line to see Tata Usteng's unique wooden statue. The weather was clearly fine; however, the sun's rays burned my skin due to the lack of shade provided by the umbrella. There were approximately 8 turns before you arrived at the point. We stayed in the hot sun for more than 30 minutes.

_{The side of Tata Usteng's wooden statue}

_{I was standing in the long queue}

We decided to listen to the sermon after we finished doing business in the patron. It was actually the first time I had heard a Catholic Mass in more than 5 years since I had converted. Inside and on both sides, people are undoubtedly crammed. I noticed an ongoing construction at the back of it, which means the church is being renovated as a result of the recent earthquake.

The mass ended a few minutes later. Under the pressure of the crowded mass and the heat of the king sun, I felt suffocated. My breathing was severely disrupted, so we had to come to a halt near some nearby stalls. Because it was still around 3 p.m., the temperature in the Philippines was expected to be extremely high. I didn't run into any of my friends because I knew it would be impossible to find them in such a crowd. In this type of situation, you must remain vigilant at all times because you could lose anything from your bag, including your wallet, phone, or personal belongings, at any time.

This building, I believe, is the oldest among those in the area. As far as I recall, my grandmother used to tell us that the building was famous for its delicious Tanza-inspired dishes. However, the structure deteriorated over time. A 7/11 store can be found on the building's ground floor. It was quite old, but it was still clean and cold. The remaining floors were unoccupied for a variety of reasons.

When I got tired of walking around, I remembered there was a small funfair nearby. Because you can't walk fast on a crowded street, it took about 10-15 minutes. After several walks, my cousins and I arrived at the funfair, where it appeared that people were enjoying the rides and games.

This is the first game we have seen. I'm not sure what this game is called, but it's very simple. Each yellow-painted box contains numbers, and you must throw a peso coin and target the number. If your peso coin did not enter the yellow box, you have lost and must throw another coin to try your luck. It was a difficult game because your chances of winning were less than 50%.

_{It's just a stall selling various types of toys}

I noticed another game that was very crowded as I approached it. I couldn't capture the table because of the woods that were in the way. The color game is extremely popular. You just need to figure out which colors will emerge. The prices are for some junk foods, which are delicious junk food snacks that Filipinos enjoy eating. It's a really entertaining game.

My cousins insisted on riding the Ferris wheel, so I agreed as long as I did not pay for their tickets. I believe the ticket was quite expensive, as it was 40php per person. However, because it was not a typical or common day to go outside, it was worthwhile. The single ride takes at least 10-12 minutes, which surprised me. Darn! My feet are itchy, and my knees are trembling from standing for so long.

_{Kids and parents enjoy the carousel rides.}

_{The crowded front of the covered court.}

_{Another crowded place in the town's plaza.}

_{One of the many stalls selling Suman, Biko, Sapin-sapin, and many more.}

My cousins, who were with me the entire day, kept me company. It was a refreshing memory because we hadn't experienced the fiesta activities in the plaza in a long time. It made us excited every time we went to the same places we had previously visited. It was especially sad because some of our cousins were working abroad and had flown there just a few months before. This is my fiesta experience for my fellow Filipinos out there. What about you?