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FESTIVAL:
Tawilis Festival
Travelling back to time when Taal Volcano first erupted, people from the volcano’s surroundings were shredded with fear. They kept their families and homes away from the volcano to a safer place. When they came back, they saw the horror brought by the growling volcano: nothing was left but walls of the church and convento, all of the trading district went astray with cold ashes but one thing marked as a blessing for the people around the volcano: Tawilis. No one ever knew how it survived from the calamity. But it was such a blessing for everyone around the lake including Bauan.
Creation of Tawilis Festival was initiated by Mayor Glorioso Martinez in order to further Agoncillo’s tourism in 2009. The Tawilisan Festival is celebrated on December 8th; as Agoncillo’s entry to compete the Ala Eh Festival of Province of Batangas.
The term “tawilis” was from a fresh water fish (Sardinella Tawilis), the only fresh water sardine in the world that is endemic to Taal Lake.
This was chosen by the Municipality of Agoncillo to promote, since Tawilis does not thrive in captivity, unlike other fishes like Tilapia and Bangus which can hibernate in order to prolong its storage. Furthermore, the unique way on how it was harvested using “Pukol”, can be used to boost the interest of potential tourist.
Source: MPDC – Municipality of Agoncillo, Batangas
Last updated: September 2, 2013
