What, Coconut Festival?

Coco festival is a week celebration of the city of San Pablo in the month of January. It is a festivity to give thanks for the good harvest of coconut trees, which is one of the major products of San Pablo. In this festivity, San Pablenos creativity and cooperation could be seen, as well as the joy and happiness that is brought by this festival in San Pablo City. The coconut is said to be the tree of life, and here at San Pablo we believe in that from the leaves of the tree until the roots of it. It is very useful for us. Food, handicrafts, houses we can make it with the help of creativity and the power of the coconut tree.

History of the Coco Festival

The holding of the First Coconut Festival, Mardi Gras Style, on January 12, 1996, was actually conceived by Robert M. Non, an advocacy officer of the San Miguel Group of Companies based here in Laguna who suggested it to then Secretary to the Mayor Adolfo "Rudy" J. Vergara, and Project Development Officer Ruben E. Taningco, in June of 1995, while Mayor Vicente B. Amante and City Administrator Hizon A. Arago were on official travel to the United States.

On his return, Mayor Amante approved the idea/proposal as a compliance to the provision of Republic Act No. 7356, an Act Creating the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and with the approval of the Sangguniang Panglunsod, then headed by Vice Mayor Danton Q. Bueser, an ad hoc committee chaired by City Administrator Hizon A. Arago, assisted by former Councilor Vergel Cosico and Businessman Arthur T. Reyes was organized to formulate the program of activities for the holding of street dancing contest. Research was conducted by the ad hoc committee as to the mechanic of the cultural presentation, the type of music that must be used, and the design of the costume of the participants which must be based on coconut tree.

Cocofest
Sight at the view deck.

Cocofest
Sight at the view deck.

Cocofest
Sight at the view deck.

Cocofest
Sight at the view deck.

Coco Mardigras

The main and most awaited event in the Coco festival is the street dancing of diffent schools of San Pablo. It is a cultural presentation of the city which are based on the essence of coconut in our lives. Costumes of participants are creatively made of coconut materials. And the song is about the beauty of San Pablo.

Coco Floats

Fantastic, isnt? A wondrous creation of San Pablo is this magnificent floats mad of coconut products. This shows the creativity and diligence of San Pablenos in finishing this big work of art for the sake of a festive and wonderful festival once a year. A trademark of the city of Seven Lakes and the queen city of coconut products in the Philippines.