ILOILO City – Alarmed by a steady drop in sailing participants, organizers of the Paraw Regatta Festival are shifting gears by turning schools into the new breeding ground for Iloilo’s centuries-old sailing tradition, hoping to rebuild the sport from the grassroots and keep the iconic paraw alive.
Paraw is a native sail/fishing boat used by seafaring Ilonggos for centuries even before the Spanish conquest of the Philippines. The annual Paraw Regatta aims to keep this tradition alive.
With the festival now on its 53rd year (from February 22 to March 1), sailing events chair Roberto Somosa said the reliance on traditional fisherfolk is no longer sustainable as modern fishing practices gradually replace sail-powered boats.
“Traditional fisherfolk who used to participate in our Paraw Festival are already using pumpboats for convenience and a more efficient means of livelihood for fishing,” Somosa said.
To counter the decline, organizers will launch a school-based training workshop on Feb. 23–25 aimed at introducing paraw sailing to high school students and cultivating early interest in the sport.
“The strategy is to return to grassroots development and make it school-based, targeting high school students,” Somosa said.
“For our first workshop, we target 10 teams to be trained, and next year, they will compete in the school category,” he added.
Organizers are also coordinating with the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. to construct a 20-foot paraw that will be adopted and maintained by participating schools.
“Hopefully, we will develop the awareness and love for paraw sailing among children,” Somosa said.
This year’s Paraw Regatta is expected to draw at least 35 sailboats, a notable drop from last year’s 44 participants, underscoring concerns about the event’s long-term sustainability.
To accommodate safety and logistics, the race course has also been shortened to about 26 kilometers from the usual 30-kilometer route across the Iloilo Strait.
Paraw Regatta Festival Foundation chair John Lex Bayombong said prize money for the sailing competitions will be increased to entice more crews to return.
The Slalom Race is on February 26 while the main sailing event is on March 1.
This year’s theme, “Sailing Forward, Guided by Tradition,” reflects the festival’s attempt to balance innovation with heritage, Bayombong said.
“It highlights how the festival continues to evolve — embracing modern creativity, tourism growth, and environmental awareness — while remaining rooted in the traditions of Ilonggo seafaring communities,” he added.
Beyond the races, organizers are also courting younger audiences through new festival elements, including the Kusina Regatta cook-off challenge on Feb. 27, which will showcase traditional seafood dishes with modern twists.
Aldene Duyag, creative and artistic director for Paraw Regatta Festival 2026, said culinary schools in Iloilo City will be invited to reimagine heritage dishes to make the festival more appealing to the next generation.
“They will prepare dishes not the traditional way, but with an elevation or twist,” Duyag said.
There’s also the Pinta Layag (sail painting competition), Paraw Aquathlon, Sinamba sa Regatta streetdance competition, and Pinta Tawo (body painting congest), among other festival innovations./PN
