january-2011

Bullfight Festival
Four galloping hooves, 300 pounds
of bone and beef plus a pair of horns
hurtling towards you, eyes blazing,
nostrils fl aring, totally hell-bent on a
bone-crunching collision. Enjoy the thrill
of the Pasungay!
Held annually on the second Saturday
of January, in the rural town of San
Joaquin, Iloilo where farming dates
back to the 1800s, the Pasungay offers
a different take on the fi esta. There are
no matadors here. This is one of the few
places in the world where a bullfi ght is
actually between bulls. Around 40 to 50
of these creatures make their appearance
during this event, competing for the grand
prize in a morning derby. Later in the day,
a series of paaway, or horsefi ghts are
also held.
The soltadas (matches) take place at
the San Joaquin Sports Stadium which is
PARTY ISLANDS
follow the moos. Then watch the bulls in
all their fuming, raging glory and place
your bets. The really fun part is after the
match when the bulls chase each other
throughout the arena, plowing through
everything (and everyone) in their way!
SANCHEZ
FELIMON
Animal lovers need not despair, for Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Iloilo from Manila,
easy to get to from the town plaza — just the Pasungay isn’t a reckless misuse of Cebu and Davao.www.cebupacifi cair.com
PHOTOS
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Bulls lock horns
during the annual
Pasungay in
San Joaquin, Iloilo
bovine brawn. It’s a timeless celebration
of the San Joaquino way of life — one
that reaffi rms the age-old partnership of
man and beast, and one that will surely
remain for many more years.
Apart from
bullfi ghts, horse
matches are also
featured in the
paaway.