ILOILO City – The Iloilo-Guimaras Paraw Regatta Festival 2021 will push through online this year.
According to Joyce Clavecillas of the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI), no other activities will be held, except for a May 30 pre-recorded video presentation of Paraw Regatta Festival stories and paraw sailing.
There will be no actual paraw race on the shores of Arevalo district.
There may be other events in June but these are yet to be finalized.
This southern city is under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until May 31. Last year, the Paraw Regatta was cancelled due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
This year, the IFFI is taking inspiration on the resounding success of the Dinagyang Digital 2021 which it also spearheaded.
“This is a manifestation of our strong commitment to continue celebrating our rich culture and traditions despite being confronted with the challenges of this pandemic, because our identity as Ilonggos is truly worth celebrating,” the IFFI stated.
Paraw Regatta is a race of wind-propelled native boats. Now on its 49th year, it is considered the oldest sailing event in Asia and the largest in the country.
It was established nearly half a century ago primarily to preserve the paraw as a significant link to the earliest period of Ilonggo history.
The paraw is a small boat with two stabilizers and was widely used for travel and trade in the 1200s. Up to this day, it is still being used as a means of transport as well a source of livelihood.
A strikingly fast boat, the paraw makes 20 kph to 30 kph through the waves. It was the prototype that inspired Westerners to develop the trimaran, the fastest sailboats now on the planet./PN
