LAKBAYAW FESTIVAL is celebrated by the people of Tondo in Manila every Third Week of January in honor of the Holy Child Jesus, the Santo Niño. The term LAKBAYAW is a contraction of two tagalog words, namely: "LAKBAY" and "SAYAW." The former means JOURNEY; and, the latter, DANCE. Hence, the whole festivity is highlighted by joyful street dancing to the beat of the drums.
Though, street dancing is not alien to the people of Tondo as a way of paying homage to the Santo Niño, the previous Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Erik Santos, paved the way for the formalization of "LAKBAYAW" as the official festival term for the yearly fiesta with the official slogan, "HILING MO, ISAYAW MO KAY Santo Niño!" The slogan encourages the faithful to praise GOD using dance as medium of prayerful offering. As it is written in the Bible:
"Let them praise HIS NAME with DANCING, making melody to HIM with tambourine and lyre!" (Psalm 149:3, ESV)
"Let them praise HIS NAME with DANCING, making melody to HIM with tambourine and lyre!" (Psalm 149:3, ESV)
Subconsciously, LAKBAYAW Festival overshadows the popular belief that Tondo Fiesta celebrations are filled with drunkenness and violence.
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