Growing up as a young teen in the 1950's, I recall one particular day of the year when everybody seemed to go the beach for a swim and a picnic.

Even those from the barrios and the neighboring non-seaside towns flock to the beaches of Plaridel. To them, it's the time "na maka ligo'g dagat"!

That event was simply called called San Juan.

It was only later that I learned the significance of the event. The feast of St. John the Baptist on June 24, commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ by John at the Jordan River some 1,200 years ago.

The center of the celebration was at the mouth of the Langaran River (also known as Barra River) which empties out to the Mindanao Sea.

The tide in June is usually high so the swimming was great. The people construct huts made of "nipa" or "lukay", where they set up tables and benches for the food and drinks. Just like any other fiesta, everyone was welcome to partake of the food.

Looking south, you see people lining the beach up to Lao and Looc, and looking north, from Kauswagan to Sta. Cruz and beyond. But unlike other fiestas, this is just a one-day affair, and the food is only for lunch.

The eating, drinking and merrymaking start at mid-morning and end mid-afternoon, at about 3 or 4 pm. Then everyone packs up and goes home. And looks forward to the San Juan next year.

But that changed in 1960.

Our place was then called Purok Barra City. I can't recall why it was given that name. It was a purok, no "baranggay" yet at that time.

The purok leader was my father, Ciriaco "On-on" Apepe, Jr. He thought of celebrating San Juan not only on June 24, but also on the day before as a "disperas".

So, with his leadership and the other purok leaders, with the cooperation of the purok residents, they came up with activities to enliven the celebration of what was to be called Pista sa Barra City.

These activities included the following:

• Nine-day prayer (novena)

  For the novena to the patron saint, Saint John the Baptist, a chapel was constructed in front of the house of Nong Candero Laput. The nightly prayers were led by the perennial "mangunahan" Nang Anon, and later alternately with Nang Didang. Families donated drinks and snacks after the prayers.

• Beauty contest

  Contestants were the beautiful young girls of Barra City. The first Queen of the Pista sa Barra City was Judy "Dodie" Labaria. Talk of beauty - "walay makalupig". On coronation night, there were singing and dancing, attended not only by the Barra City residents, but by everybody in Plaridel and the neighboring towns. "Puno ang auditorium ".

• Fluvial Parade

  Similar to the Plaridel fiesta, a fluvial parade ("sakay-sakay") held on San Juan day. Decorated boats carried the patron saint, the beauty queen and her court and other celebrants and the faithful along the shoreline, cheered by the people along the way.

The first fiesta was a huge success. Thus, a new tradition was started. The fiesta was celebrated every year hence. In the succeeding years, other activities were added such as sporting events.

There was a time when there was a stage play (drama), with a leading lady named Ms. Valduhueza. I already forgot her first name. I never failed to attend the fiesta even when I was in college in Cebu.

The last fiesta I attended was in 1971, after which I left town to work in Manila. And sadly, Papa On-on passed away in 1974. After that, I didn't keep track of how the fiesta was celebrated.

There's a Facebook Group, Balik Barra City - June 15-24, 2021. They're planning to go home to good old Barra City, to join the celebration of this year's fiesta and maybe reminisce about the childhood memories of the fiestas past.

I would like to join them - after all, it's only been 50 years since my last fiesta. Hopefully, by that time, the pandemic has been contained.

I celebrated my thirteenth birthday in 1959. Birthdays to us in the family were not really that special. No birthday party, no birthday cake, no birthday gifts, no guests.

But Mama Inday made sure that we go to church "aron modagkot"

At supper, we had "adobong manok" and "tinunooang sabaw". And there were soft drinks. A meal with soft drinks was already a big deal to us.

The birthday celebration was more solemn than festive. Maybe Papa On-on sensed this. Half-seriously, half-jokingly, he said to me,  "Dô, sa sunod tuig mag pista ta sa imong birthday."

My birthday is June 23. I didn't take him seriously then, but as they say, the rest is history.

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