Paraw Regatta Festival in Iloilo - Philippines

Location and Cost

The Paraw is a small vessel with two outriggers. History has it that it is the original copy to the sailboats used in Panay in 1200s. The first people who first lived came from the island of Borneo. They settled in Panay to have a place to call home.

Paraws have outriggers for balance because it will tilt the whole craft during strong waves of the sea. During the Second World War Paraws were used by the guerilla groups to protect their towns. You can join this festival by taking a flight for Iloilo with a local airline like Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific,SEAir and Asian Spirit. You can also go to Iloilo via a ship like ferries by Negros Navigation and W G & A. The airfare usually costs three thousand pesos for a one way trip and the seafare will costs from nine hundred pesos up to two thousand pesos depending on the kind of accommodation you will take. The sea voyage will take almost twenty two hours. The flights only take about one hour.

History

The first festival for the Paraw Regatta was initiated by Iloilos Department of Tourism, the towns of Oton and Guimaras. The Philippine Coast Guard also supported the festival. Some groups and companies also sponsored it like Negros Navigation, Boat Club of Iloilo, Anhawa Beach Resort and Iloilo Jaycees.

The main goals of the Paraw Regatta wer to assist boost the tourism in the province. They also aim to promote the urgent need for conserving and preserving the use of paraw as a great legacy from their ancestors. They also aim to inform the public about the Paraw. The Iloilo Paraw Regatta later changed its name to Iloilo-Guimaras Paraw Regatta in 1993 when the Guimaras became an independent province. Most of the participants came from Guimaras as well. Years ago the first point of the Iloilo Paraw Regatta were held from Arevalo and it finishes in Anhawan Resort.

What to See and Other Information

From 1973- 1975 the Paraw Regatta only recognized one type of race for Paraws. Two more types were added to the races. Today there are races for Paraws that are medium in size and there was another category for the very large Paraws which started in the eighties. The Iloilo Paraw Regatta is still part of the tourism projects by Iloilo citys Tourism Department and it follows the provisions set in the code for the local governments indicated in 1991.