Guling-Guling Fest brings Paoay to Life

PAOAY, Ilocos Norte — The historic streets of Paoay burst into color and movement on the afternoon of Tuesday, 5 March, as the Guling-Guling Festival took center stage. Dancers in vibrant traditional attire swayed to the beat of lively Ilocano music, their foreheads marked with the symbolic white cross — a centuries-old tradition signifying cleansing and renewal before the solemnity of Lent.

A cultural gem dating back to the Spanish colonial period, Guling-Guling was introduced by Fray Esteban Ortiz in the 16th century, when the people of Paoay gathered on the eve of Ash Wednesday to receive a blessing made from rice flour.

Unlike other towns where revelry was halted before Lent, Paoay was granted a special exception — allowing a final day of merrymaking filled with music, dance and feasting.

This year’s Street Dance Parade showcased the spirit of Paoay’s people, with performers clad in aborot (traditional woven skirts) and adorned with Ilocano accessories. Tourists and locals alike joined in the festivities, clapping to the rhythmic steps pof the music and sharing in the joyful chaos of this pre-Lenten celebration.