Sunduan in the sun

Parañaque City’s prettiest ladies, including reigning Reina Hispanoamericana 2017 Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez, came together on the streets of La Huerta and were fetched by their consorts for the traditional Sunduan ceremony.

The ceremony was led by Hermano mayor Cecilio Paul San Pedro, himself a proud son of La Huerta. One hundred eighty ladies and their partners shielded themselves from the sun with their beautifully decorated parasols and promenaded the streets of La Huerta. The Sunduan festival dates back to 1876 during the Spanish era when the townspeople paid homage to Barangay La Huerta’s patron saint, San Nicolas de Tolentino.

As custom would have it, the consort, garbed in formal barong Tagalog, fetches the light of his life from her home, a lovely lass in her traje de mestiza, to bring her to the church in the town plaza. To further impress the object of his affection and her parents, the gentleman brings with him a marching band together with the komite de festejos, who all walk with them along the fully decorated streets of the town towards the Chapel of Saint Nicolas. The practice has been retained by the townspeople of La Huerta and, to this day, is celebrated every two years.

Congratulations to Cecilio Paul San Pedro and his team for a successful Sunduan festival!