Siquijor ( Philippines ) for Solili Festival Sept. 17

Am headed for Siquijor, the Island of Fire, for the Solili Festival. Flying in to Dumaguete from Manila, and then taking ferry to Larena. I am also keen to explore the practice of Shamanism in the island. Any help for a point of contact that can lead me to these shamans? I will be in Siquijor for a couple of days.

dana

Somehow I find it hard to believe that people from Asian countries, would care about a festivals as never heard as "Solili".

Shamanism? wow... the Philippines and Shamanism? I smell marketing strategy, but if you are just genuinely interested in that island, I applaud you for being original. Its just that the term Shamanism, reminds me of Korea, rather than the Catholic archeopelago of the Philippines. Whoever goes to the Philippines for Shamanism?

Yes, I know the island of Fire and the witches and black magic... and the poets who go to Siliman university. As for Solili Festival, the department tourism needs more funds to promote or market such made for the tourist festival (Ofcourse I am kidding about the made for the tourist thing).

Well Siquijor which could sound like Citywhore, is a beautiful island. I know it is off the coast of Dumaguete, where an oil spill once occured in paradise, Guemaras islands.

Hi.

Thanks for the observation and comments. Strange as it may seem to you, as Asian I am deeply fascinated with off-the beaten track kind of places, and over the years I have been back packing - documenting and recording- cultural & traditional elements of countries in the ASEAN region and beyond. Well, more for personal satisfaction. Hence, my trip to Siquijor, and island even the Filipinos fear to tread cos of the mambarang,black magic, white magic,etc. The practice of shamanism differs from country to country and i am just curious to find out how Siquijor still holds on to it despite Phils being a Catholic country. Anyway, I will be meeting some folk healers, and through the I expect to get a deeper insight into Mystic Siquijor. And for me, lesser known festivals, like the Solili, are worth observing. Thanks, Siquijor is not a tourist trap, like Bohol or Cebu!

Thanks to you anyway..

dana

Scholarly travelling, I get it. Well and enjoy and be careful, the black magic is real.

tanx...

Hi guys,

Got back home with fond memories of Siquijor. The Solili Festival, the object of my trip to the Island of Fire, was a reflection of the spirit of the locals - colourful, friendly and simple, yet enticing. No, I wasnt enticed by the shamans; nor the black magic players! Siquijor is truly a diver's haven, and enjoyed traveling around the island, meeting local folks, who spoke more about the island's landscape than black magic and folk healers.

Well, back in Manila, I was holed up in the hotel as the typhoon which wreaked havoc. That put a plug on my programmes I had planned to other parts of central Luzon.

Glad to get out amidst reports of the impending supertyphoon Pepeng!.