Pabirik Festival Festival of Gold

The Pabirik Festival is celebrated every last week of January up to the day of the town fiesta on the second day of February. The highlight of the event is the Pabirik Street Dancing Competition. All schools in Paracale competed showing different representations of how Nuestra Señora De Candelaria defended the town against the Moro invaders.

If you are wondering what is "PABIRIK"? Pabirik is an essential tool used by miners in Paracale. Usually, it is made of strong circular wood. Just look at the photos below. The participants in Street Dancing Competition hold a Pabirik. It is said that the reason why Spaniards colonized Paracale is because of the gold underneath the town.

  

This is the first time in Pabirik Festival to be accompanied by local Cosplayers.

There are stories about the miracles made by Our Lady of Candelaria. On August 29, 1809. 37 Moro tried to invade the town but has no match for the lightning quickness of the Lady Patron. The remaining enemies are swallowed by one huge gulp of seawater.

Mining is like gambling you didn't know if there is gold. Usually, you didn't get anything. Many lives are lost because of mining. Miners sometimes get trapped below the ground or drowned.