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"Thousands of people gathered in Barotac Nuevo, also dubbed as the 'Football Capital of the Philippines', as the municipality hosted the 4th Tamasak Festival, honouring the town's legendary passion for the sport ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Footage captured on Tuesday shows streets transformed into creative street dancing and cultural performances. Football matches between local teams can also be seen taking place. "I always come back every June, every year because of the town fiesta and football," Nestor Parson, a former footballer, shared. "I've been in Toronto for 54 years, but I always return for the fiesta and the football." Gerard Pornan, a 59-year-old former football coach, emphasised the unparalleled scale of the celebration. "Every year, every fiesta is the best festival, the best parade in Barotac Nuevo. Every street fills with crowds eager to see the parade," Pornan said. "The football tournament here is always a full house because, even when I was a child, there was always a football match here, making us the football capital of the Philippines," he added. The vibrant celebration, held from June 6 to 13, features spirited football tournaments, cultural street dances, and festivities. Barotac Nuevo's fiesta, closely tied to football, remains a cherished local tradition. The festival's name traces back to Tamasak, a prized white stallion owned by Don Simon Raymundo Protacio Belen. In 1811, he traded the horse to Spanish officials in exchange for his village, Barrio Malutac, being recognised as an independent town, later chartered as Barotac Nuevo. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to begin on June 11 in Mexico. The tournament will be played across the United States, Canada, and Mexico in an expanded 48-team format."
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