PHILIPPINE CULTURE AND TOURISM GEOGRAPHY
LESSON 5: PHILIPPINE FESTIVALS
The Philippine archipelago is, hands down, a beautiful hodgepodge of spirited and colorful festivals. With
our fun-loving spirit, artistry, creativity and passion for music, the Philippines has even birthed some of the
world’s grandest and most vibrant festivals. Full of life, parades, radiant smiles, elaborate costumes and
processions, the festivals in the Philippines are dazzling celebrations that highlight the history, traditions
and spiritual side of the Filipinos
Because of Spain’s Catholic influence dating back to the mid 1500s, most of these festivals are usually
religious in nature while others are meant to commemorate important events in history. Either way,
attending a Philippine festival is definitely something you have to experience at least once.
JANUARY
Feast of the Black Nazarene
Date: January 9th Location: Quiapo, Manila
A grand Fiesta, this festival centers on the image of the Black Nazarene which was transported
by galleon from Mexico to Manila in the 17th century. The festival is marked by an afternoon procession
by thousands of devotees.
Ati-Atihan Festival
Date: 3rd weekend of January | Kalibo, Aklan
This Sto. Niño festival started it all. One of the oldest religious celebrations in the country, Ati-
Atihan is characterized by a parade filled with face-painted celebrants, indigenous costumes and
weapons, tribal dances, and loud drumbeats.
Tourists who flock to Kalibo for the festivities are free to cover themselves in black soot and
dance on the streets with the drum beats. Known as the “The Filipino Mardi Gras,” it is truly an experience
not to be missed.
Sinulog Festival
Date: 3rd weekend of January | Cebu City
Cebu also has its own version of the festival in honor of the Sto. Niño. If you find yourself
attending the Sinulog Festival, “Pit Señor!” is a phrase you will hear a lot. It means “Panangpit sa Señor,”
a Cebuano phrase that means to plead to the Señor Santo Niño.
It is one of the most attended festivals in the Philippines, attracting millions of locals and tourists
from all over the world. In 2013, it was reported that the number of participants reached a whopping four
million.
1
Dinagyang Festival
Date: 4th weekend of January | Iloilo City
Once a year, Iloilo City transforms into one big street party — streets closed, bands in all corners,
overflowing food and drinks, and towering boom boxes. To cap it all off, tribes representing
different barangays and high schools perform in one very competitive street dancing contest.
It’s no wonder how this city’s once simple celebration in honor of the child Jesus (Sto. Niño)
ended up bagging several awards including the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines’ (ATOP)
title holder for Best Tourism Event of the Philippines.
FEBRUARY
Panagbenga Festival
Date: Last week of February | Baguio City, Benguet
Panangbenga, or also referred as the “Season of Blooming” is a visually captivating festival,
featuring humungous floats adored beautifully with flowers parading along the entire stretch of Session
Road. Celebrated as a tribute of Baguio’s blooming flower industry, the festival was first held in the
aftermath of the devastating Luzon 1990 earthquake, to help uplift the spirits of the people who were
affected by the tremors.
LENTEN SEASON (MARCH – APRIL)
Everything shuts down during the holy week which sometimes falls in March or April. Sinakulo (passion
plays) and pasyon (recitation of the passion of Christ) are staged throughout the country. Holy week ends
in the celebration of Easter.
Moriones Festival
Date: Holy Week | Boac, Gasan, and Mogpog, Marinduque
This week-long celebration of the life of St. Longinus is what makes Marinduque one of the top
destinations during Holy Week in the Philippines. Morion is the helmet worn by the centurions while
Moriones refers to the costumed penitents reenacting the search for St. Longinus, hunted by his fellow
centurions for converting to Christianity.
During the festival you will see Marinduqueños dressed up as centurions (Moriones) looking for
Longinus. One person acts as Longinus, hiding from them while the townspeople play along and allow
him to hide in their houses. Via Crucis or the reenactment of the Passion of Christ also happens during
this Philippine festival.
2
Crucifixion Ceremonies
Date: Holy Week | Cutud, Pampanga
This presents a more macabre tableau with devotees literally being nailed to wooden crosses.
Similar reenactments of Christ’s sufferings occur in other towns.
Siquijor Healing Festival
Date: Holy Week | Siquijor
On the spooky island of Siquijor, faith healers and witch doctors gather around a big pot on Black
Saturday chanting and preparing a medicinal concoction which they say cures all that ails you.
Aliwan Fiesta
Date: Last weekend of April | Pasay City, Manila
Aliwan Fiesta is more of a competition than it is a festival. However, it has undeniably added
great value to the growing interest in Philippine festivals. Although it just started in the early 2000s, it has
already gained a strong fan-base nationwide with more than 5,000 young men and women from all over
the country joining the competition.
MAY
Sumakah Festival
Date: May 1| Antipolo
Sumakah festival is an acronym for Suman, Mangga, Kasoy and Hamaka which is used before as
a means of transportation. The festival is created to promote these specialty products of Antiipolo. The
festival organizes different activities and one of which is the Alay Lakad. The Alay Lakad is the opening
of the Festival. There are also beauty pageants and street . It is also organized to recognize the Black
Nazarene that is being brought to Antipolo Cathedral.
Rodeo Masbateño Festival
Date: Late April or Early May| Masbate
It showcases skills in livestock handling, such as lassoing, wrestling, and riding cattle. Also
included in the event are a fair and exhibitions and trade of cattle and horses. The event has taken place
every summer since 1993 in the province of Masbate, which is traditionally considered the “Cattle Country
of the Philippines.”
3
Pahiyas Festival
Date: 15th of May | Lucban, Quezon
One of the Philippines’ most colorful harvest festival, May 15th marks that time of the year when
people in Lucban decorate their houses with different-colored produces in an almost competitive manner.
It’s not uncommon to see singakamas (turnip), talong (eggplant), sigarilyas (winged bean) and all the
other vegetables and fruits mentioned in the Bahay Kubo song hanging on the exteriors of their homes.
You can actually bring a basket and pick the produce from the walls for free.
Santacruzan
Date: May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 : Nationwide
The Santacruzan is a procession commemorating St. Helena's finding the "True Cross"; preceded
bya nine-day Novena in honor of the Holy Cross. On the ninth day, usually on a weekend, the
Santacruzan is held. The Reina Elena, accompanied by a little boy representing King Constantine, and
the other sagalas representing biblical characters and the attributes of the Blessed Virgin, walk under
gaily decorated arches.
JUNE
Parada ng Lechon
Date: June 24: Balayan, Batangas
The parading on the Feast of St. John the Baptist of "dressed" and decorated "lechons" (roasted
pigs) around town. Revelers partake of the lechons after the parade.
Pintados – Kasadyaan Festival
Pintados is another festival in honor of the Sto. Niño (yes, this is the 4th of its kind in the list). It just goes
to show how Filipinos want to be reminded to be childlike in their ways and to place hope in their children.
Street pageantry and contest focusing on the Leyteños' old custom of tattooing that signifies
courage and status in the community.
AUGUST
Kadayawan Festival
Date: 3rd week of August | Davao City
Kadayawan comes from the Dabawenyo word “madayaw,” a friendly greeting which means good
or beautiful. Probably the biggest festival in Mindanao, Kadayawan has everything all other festivals have:
street dancing, beauty pageants, fireworks displays, floral floats.
It is a celebration of Davao‘s as well as the rest of Mindanao’s abundance; showcasing flowers,
fruits, and other produces that abound the country’s second largest island. Just two years ago, they even
introduced a week-long street food fiesta in Freedom Park, Roxas Avenue called Kaan sa Da’n.
4
MassKara Festival
Date: 19th of October | Bacolod City
Colorful masks, street dancing, electrical displays and best of all… the sweet smiles of
Bacoleñas! What more could you ask for?
MassKara is a combination of the words “mass” which means “crowd” and “kara” which means
“face.” You will see participants wearing smiling masks signifying a multitude of smiling faces, solidifying
Bacolod’s title as the “City of Smiles.”
Ibalong Festival
Date: October 19-22 : Legaspi City
A celebration depicting Bicol's early beginnings as portrayed in the "Ibalong" epic that tells of
super heroes Handiong, Batlog and Oryol and villains and wild animals that roamed in the ancient times.
In music and dances, revelers parade on the main streets wearing masks of these heroes and villains.
Festival activities include tours, trade fairs, exhibits and beauty pageants.
Lanzones Festival
Date: 3rd week of October / Camiguin
Lanzones Festival, an annual event marked in the month of October, is a four-day festival held to
celebrate bounty harvests of the lanzones fruit.
Lanzones, also known as langsats, is a type of tree in the Mahogany group of plants, and whose
edible fruits are a favorite for many people in the Philippines. The origin of Lanzones in Southeast Asia
has made it a critical part of this festival.
NOVEMBER
Feast of San Clemente/Higantes Festival
Date: November 22-23 : Angono, Rizal
Angono's joyous fiesta in honor of San Clemente whose image, resplendent in papal vestment, is
borne by male devotees during a procession accompanied by "pahadores (devotees dressed in colorful
local costumes, wooden shoes and carrying boat paddles) and higantes" (giant paper mache effigies) The
street event culminates in a fluvial procession in Laguna de Bay amidst revelry that continues until the
image is brought back to its sanctuary.
5
DECEMBER
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
By the Apostolic Letter Impositi Nobis of 12 September 1942, Pope Pius XII, at the request of the bishops
in the Philippines, declared the Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception as principal
patroness of the Philippines
It is capped by a grand procession of more than 50 Marian images from all over the country and
participated in by thousands of devotees.
San Fernando Giant Lantern Festival
Date: December: San Fernando, Pampanga
The Giant Lantern Festival (Kapampangan: Ligligan Parul) is an annual festival held in
December (Saturday before Christmas Eve) in the City of San Fernando. The festival features a
competition of giant lanterns. Because of the popularity of the festival, the city has been nicknamed the
"Christmas Capital of the Philippines".
Shariff kabungsuan Festival
Date: December 15-19: Cotabato CIty
This festival celebrates the arrival of Islam in the region and includes rive parades of decorated
boats
ASSIGNMENT:
Answer the following questions. Computerized; Short bond paper
1. What countries influenced Filipino cooking ang give their contribution to Filipino cuisine.
2. Choose 5 provinces in the country and describe their food specialty. Example. Ilocos Sur / Norte
– Empanada – description
3. What is your all-time favorite Filipino dish and why?
