Thousands of Bulakenyos, including local and foreign tourists, boarded well-decorated motorboats while happily dancing and singing as they joined the fluvial procession along the Calumpit River on Sunday, June 23.
The procession was held at around 8 a.m. on Sunday, a day before the annual town feast of St. John the Baptist in Calumpit.
During the festival, residents showed their hope to patron saint, Saint John the Baptist.
They believe that Saint John will water their seeds to grow abundantly.
Visitors from nearby provinces lined up on top of Bagbag and Gatbuca bridges as they all enjoyed watching the fluvial procession while people at the decorated pagodas danced and frenziedly doused water to "baptize" (recollecting the saint's characteristic act) passersby that were ready to get wet.
However, due to the high tide, the other motorboats’ drivers from Barangay Iba O Este removed the roofs of their boats to pass under the Bagbag Bridge toward Gatbuca Bridge near the Calumpit Church.
Bulacan Police Director Col. Relly B. Arnedo directed the chief of police in the town to deploy policemen in the areas to ensure the safety of all the people who watched and participated in the festival.
Calumpit Mayor Lem Faustino, together with Vice Mayor Zar Candelaria, Governor Daniel R. Fernando, Vice Governor Alex C. Castro, and members of Sangguniang Bayan who attended the Holy Mass, said that the St. John the Baptist feast is a religious occasion wherein the celebration will be enjoyed with water.
Fernando said the Libad Festival is only one of the popular tourist attractions in the province in honor of John the Baptist.
He said the San Juan Bautista Church in the municipality is the oldest church in Bulacan.
It was learned that San Juan Bautista Church was initially made of nipa and bamboo and was constructed under the Augustinian friars Martín de Rada and Diego Vivar. However, in 1700, the church was improved little by little and turned into stone.
Historians said the church had witnessed the Filipinos' struggles against the Spanish, American, and Japanese governments.
They also said that the church has an underground passage inside that was used by priests during the Spanish era as an escape route in the event of Chinese and Moro pirate attacks.
San Juan Bautista Church was declared the diocesan shrine of the Diocese of Malolos.