Coconut Festival
The Coconut Festival is a week-long celebration in San Pablo, Laguna, the Philippines, in honor of their patron Saint Paul the Hermit. It is held every first to second week of January. It is a celebration started in 1996. The festival consists of Street dancing, float parade, street concerts, nightly programs before the city fiesta and some other important events like the yearly "Mutya at Lakan ng San Pablo".
San Pablo City's Coconut Festival also known as Coco Fest gives more colors to the city fiesta which is held every 15 January. It attracts people nearby towns and foreigners as well as local and national media. This boosts the culture and traditions of San Pablenos. The festival also earned citation from the Association of tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) as the best tourism Event for Festival Category City Level for Calendar Year 2010-2011-2012-2013 (PIA) which placed San Pablo City, a tourist destination.
The city's "Coconut Festival" garnered 2013's "Pearl Award" as Hall of Famer during the 14th National Convention of the Department of Tourism (DOT)–Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) held in Legazpi City, Albay.[1]
Street Dancing
The Coconut Festival Street Dancing is a competition among schools within San Pablo City. The competition is divided in three divisions: Elementary, Secondary and the College Divisions. During the early festivals, costumes were 90% made from coconut trees. But later on, it was decided that costumes may not be much from coconut. Also, music used in the early festivals is different. It is more on a tribal beat. Some of the used music/songs in the street dancing were: "Follow the Leader" in 1998; "Da Coconut Nut" in 2000-2002 and some remix songs on 2003–2008. But in 2009 and until now, San Pablo City Coconut Festival street dancing is using "Mabuhay ang San Pablo" (Long live the city) song and its remix versions.
Street Dancing Winners
| Street Dancing Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Dapdapan District | Lakeside District | Santo Angel District |
| Secondary Level | Santisimo Rosario National High School | San Isidro National High School | San Jose National High School |
| College Level | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo | ||
| 2016 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Sto. Angel District | Del Remedio District |
| Secondary Level | San Bartolome National High School | San Vicente National High School | Prudencia Fule Memorial National High School |
| College Level | Laguna State Polytechnic University | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo | Laguna College |
| 2015 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Dapdapan District | Del Remedio District |
| Secondary Level | Santisimo Rosario National High School | Col. Lauro D. Dizon Memorial National High School | San Jose National High School |
| College Level | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo | ||
| 2014 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Dapdapan District | Canossa College |
| Secondary Level | San Vicente National High School 3 | San Pablo City National High School | Prudencia Fule Memorial National High School |
| College Level | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo | Laguna State Polytechnic University | San Pablo Colleges |
| 2013 2 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Sto. Angel District | Ambray District |
| Secondary Level | Col. Lauro D. Dizon Memorial National High School | Del Remedio National High School | Santisimo Rosario National High School |
| College Level | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| 2012 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Dapdapan District | San Francisco District | Fule Almeda District |
| Secondary Level | San Pablo City National High School | San Bartolome National High School | San Jose National High School |
| College Level | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo | San Pablo Colleges | Laguna State Polytechnic University |
| 2011 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Dapdapan District | San Francisco District |
| Secondary Level | Laguna College 1 | Col. Lauro D. Dizon Memorial National High School | St. Joseph School |
| College Level | Laguna State Polytechnic University | San Pablo Colleges | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo |
| 2010 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Canossa College | Sto. Angel District |
| Secondary Level | San Pablo City National High School | St. Joseph School | Canossa College |
| College Level | Laguna State Polytechnic University | San Pablo Colleges | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo |
| 2009 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Liceo De San Pablo | Lakeside District | San Francisco District |
| Secondary Level | Col. Lauro D. Dizon Memorial National High School | Liceo De San Pablo | |
| 2008 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| College Level | San Pablo Colleges | Laguna State Polytechnic University | Canossa College |
| 2007 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| College Level | Canossa College | Laguna State Polytechnic University | |
| Secondary Level | San Isidro National High School | Col. Lauro D. Dizon Memorial National High School | |
| Elementary Level | Ambray District | ||
| 2006 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| College Level | Canossa College | Laguna State Polytechnic University | |
| 2001 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Secondary Level | Canossa College | Liceo De San Pablo | |
| 2000 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Secondary Level | Laguna College | Canossa College | San Pablo Colleges |
| 1999 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | ||
| 1998 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | ||
| Secondary Level | Canossa College | Laguna College | Col. Lauro D. Dizon Memorial National High School |
| 1997 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Ambray District | |
| Secondary Level | CC Technical Institute | Canossa College | Col. Lauro D. Dizon Memorial National High School |
| 1996 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Elementary Level | St. Joseph School | ||
| Secondary Level | Canossa College | Laguna College | |
| College Level | SPC National School of Arts and Trades | Laguna College | |
1 - Representative to the 1st La Laguna Festival Street Dancing Competition. Laguna is the province where San Pablo City belongs.
2 - Only one delegation participated in the College/University Division
3 - Invited to perform at the SMX Travel Tour Expo to be held on 14 to 16 February 2014.
Special awards
| Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Best in Costume | Best Choreography | Liveliest Group |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Dapdapan District | Santo Angel District |
| Secondary Level | Santisimo Rosario National High School | Santisimo Rosario National High School | Santisimo Rosario National High School |
| College Level | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo |
| 2016 | Best in Costume | Best Choreography | Liveliest Group |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Del Remedio District | Del Remedio District |
| Secondary Level | Prudencia Fule Memorial National High School | San Bartolome National High School | San Bartolome National High School |
| College Level | Laguna College | Dalubhasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo | Dalubhasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo |
| 2015 | Best in Costume | Best Choreography | Liveliest Group |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Dapdapan District | Dapdapan District |
| Secondary Level | Col. Lauro E. Dizon National High School | Santisimo Rosario National High School | Santisimo Rosario National High School |
| College Level | Dalubhasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo | Dalubhasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo | Dalubhasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo |
| 2014 | Best in Costume | Best Choreography | |
| Elementary Level | Canossa College | Dapdapan District | |
| Secondary Level | San Vicente National High School | San Pablo City National High School | |
| College Level | Dalubhasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo | Dalubhasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo | |
| 2013 | Best in Costume | Best Choreography | |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Sto. Angel District | |
| Secondary Level | Col. Lauro E. Dizon National High School | Del Remedio National High School | |
| College Level | Not Awarded | Not Awarded | |
| 2012 | Best in Costume | Best Choreography | |
| Elementary Level | Dapdapan District | Dapdapan District | |
| Secondary Level | Laguna College | San Pablo City National High School | |
| College Level | Laguna State Polytechnic University | Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo | |
| 2011 | Best in Costume | Best Choreography | |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Lakeside District | |
| Secondary Level | Laguna College | Laguna College | |
| College Level | Laguna State Polytechnic University | Laguna State Polytechnic University | |
| 2010 | Best in Costume | Best Choreography | |
| Elementary Level | Lakeside District | Lakeside District | |
| Secondary Level | San Pablo City National High School | San Pablo City National High School | |
| College Level | San Pablo Colleges | Laguna State Polytechnic University | |
- In 2013 and 2017, only one delegate participated in the College/University Division.
Float Parade
The street dancing competition is preceded by the float parade. It was first held in 1996. It is also a competition open to local and private sectors including schools and organizations. During the 90's, Coconut Festival float parade was held a day before the street dancing competition. It was a separate event but due to the growing number of events and programs during the long-week festival, organizers joint the float parade and the street dancing competition in a one big spectacular day usually held on 13 January.
| Float Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | South Lakes Integrated School | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2016 | SM City - San Pablo | Scuola dei Bambini di Sta. Teresita | Academia de San Ignacio de Loyola |
| 2015 | SM City - San Pablo | South Lakes Integrated School | |
| 2014 | SM City - San Pablo | Holy Dream Kiddie Learning Center | Academia de San Ignacio de Loyola |
| 2013 | Scuola dei Bambini di Sta. Teresita | SM City - San Pablo | Laguna State Polytechnic University |
| 2012 | SM City - San Pablo | Scuola dei Bambini di Sta. Teresita | Ramirez Kiddie Learning Center |
| 2011 | Scuola dei Bambini di Sta. Teresita | ||
Coco Art Festival
diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts (artworks), expressing the author's imaginative or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
Coco Carnival Queen
The Coco Carnival Queen during the Coco Fest also takes the limelight of the festival. The event showcases the creativity of San Pablo by making festive gowns and costumes purely made from the coconut tree. In the early Coco Festivals, this was not a competition. And as time lapses, costumes for the Coco Carnival Queen become bigger, bolder and impressive.