When I was a child, perya is a magical word to my ear during the months of February and March when our town celebrates its annual fiesta. I remember my father bringing me to the perya almost every night to experience rickety rides, free-flowing sugary treats, and cheap prizes at makeshift game booths. For weeks that the perya was in town, it was an uncommon indulgence that everyone could look forward to every night.
The community perya is the distinctly Filipino version of the traveling carnival or amusement fair. Perya moments bring us a nostalgic moment every time we reminisce the unrefined happiness it gave us during our childhood days. Some provinces away from Manila still hold these events.
According to Merianne Maniti of the Department of Tourism Region III, the small-town perya is still alive and well in this part of Luzon especially during summer. There is a perya troupe that regularly goes around the Kapampangan towns of Dinalupihan, Lubao, and Floridablanca. Recently, social media was bombarded with the hash-tags about throwbacks and flashbacks, a great time to recall the perya experiences where we’ve got to try classic carnival rides like the tsubibo (carousel), ruweda (Ferris wheel), the tame rollercoaster dubbed the Caterpillar, the topsy-turvy Octopus, and the Horror Train.
There are also game booths where you could win an assortment of prizes, from stuffed toys and household items to foodstuff like a bag of chips or even a can of sardines. And of course, perya will be incomplete without the “dirty” but truly yummy street food such as popcorn, pancakes, cotton candy, fish balls, sago-gulaman, barbecue, and balut and penoy. Nowadays, the colorful, musical, magical perya is hard to find in the city, but those longing for this type of adventure can still have their moment of reminiscing, and perhaps share it with their newer generations of children and grandchildren.
For the safest, most economical, and most convenient way to travel to provinces such as Pampanga, as well as other areas in Luzon and in the North such as Baguio, Bataan, Benguet, Bulacan, Cagayan Valley, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo, Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Zambales, backpackers and adventurers take Victory Liner. With bus terminals conveniently located at strategic points in the metro like Cubao, Caloocan, Manila, Kamias, and Pasay, hopping on a Victory Liner bus is easy.
For those who like to stay productive while traveling, or those who appreciate keeping in touch through social media, Victory Liner has pioneered buses that provide free Wi-Fi Internet. For utmost convenience, travelers can also check schedules and purchase tickets through the Victory Liner website. Simply pay online or through Metrobank counters, and receive the tickets through courier in a few days.
To learn more about special trip packages, check out the Byaheng Victory page on Facebook. Also receive updates on promos and special offers by following them on Twitter or by liking their official Facebook page.
Disclaimer: This is a press release. Photos #1 and #2 were provided by Victory Liner.
