Festival Dance
Festival is a community event celebrating their unique aspects, and traditions.
These celebrations offered a sense of belonging for religions and social or
geographical groups. Philippine festivals are famous for their colorful and artistic
costumes. This artistic representation attracts many local and foreign tourists.
Festivals celebrated throughout the year in the Philippines are generally divided into
two: Religious and Non-Religious Festival.
Religious Festivals
Religious festivals are delightful celebrations usually done to express thanksgiving of
the blessings from God, and to meet other specific religious purposes.
Religious Festival Theme Highlights Designs
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Pahiyas San Isidro Labrador shaped, multi and curves,
Place: Lucban Date: 15 of May
th
and Farmers’ colored laon colorful rice paste
thanksgiving for a rice-paste and floral designs
bountiful harvest. wafers used to
decorate their
houses.
3
City of Good Character DISCIPLINE • GOOD TASTE • EXCELLENCE
Obando Fertility A catholic dance Townsfolk dress in Colorful
Rite Place: Obando, ritual festival to colorful banderitas are
Bulacan Date: Every honor three traditional seen hanging
May patron Saints: costume with across the
San Pascual, distinct design and streets.
Santa Clara and (filipinia and
Nuestra Señora Kimona At saya)
de Salambao.
And to ask for
heavenly
intercession for a
childless couple
Moriones Depicts the story Morion Mask that Colorful and
Place: Marinduque of St. longinus the looks like a surly Realistic vividly
Date: Holy Week roman centurion Roman Soldier, painted masks
that which are made detailing the
miraculously from papier mache eyes and facial
gained his or hand- carved expression of
eyesight when his wood. People wear Roman Soldier,
eye was hit by this to depict and brightly
Jesus’ blood when Roman Soldiers in colored tunics.
he stabbed Jesus Biblical times.
in the side of His
torso
https://commons.wikime Its name means The wildest The competitors
dia.org/wiki/File:A_Child_ “make believe Filipino Fiesta with cover their body
Dressed_Up_At_Kalibo_At atis” named after its native dance with soot and
i- the indigenous competition paint their face
Atihan_Festival,_Philippi natives of the that runs for to portray Ati.
n es.jpg Island—Ati. A several days of They wear
Ati-Atihan festival held to the festival. different tailored
Place: Kalibo, Aklan honor Sto. Nino. costumes with
elaborated and
Date: 3 Week of January
rd
colorful designs.
Mostly made out
of walis tambo,
woven rattan,
paper flowers,
capiz shells and
wooden beads.
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City of Good Character DISCIPLINE • GOOD TASTE • EXCELLENCE
Sinulog The word “sulog” Grand street parade Colorful and
Place: Cebu means river current. that lasts almost a elaborated
Date: Every It commemorates day, where costumes made out
January the acceptance of participants are of most ornate
Filipino people of decked in brightly materials and top
Christianity that colored costumes with different kinds
replace their belief usually similar to of accessories.
of animism. Sto.Nino Display.
Dinagyan The root word, Street dance Colorful costumes
g dayang means to routines and parade and headdresses
Place: Iloilo make happy. Held to with participants made to represent
Date: Every honor Sto. Nino and dressed in colorful the celebration full
January to celebrate the Aeta costumes. of joy and wonder
arrival of Panay
settlers in the island,
©Fr.Efren Reyes Flores de Mayo is a Celebrated with The town folks
MJ caholic and flower offerings and choose the most
Flores de aglipayans pageants which beautiful maiden as
Mayo and celebration portray different Reyna Elena. All
Santacruzan lasting for a month characters. sagala participants
to honor the Virgin Each character wear beautifully
Place:
throughout the Mary. On the other depicts a designed gowns with
country hand, personality and is beads, pearls and
Santacruzan represented other precious
Date: May
represented the by an icon or stones. They walk
pageant parade on symbol. under an arch
the last day of Flores adorned with flowers
de Mayo. Held to too.
honor Reyna Elena
and his son
Constantine in
finding the true
cross.
Non- Religious Festivals
Just as we have religious festivals, we also have several non-religious festivals in the
Philippines. These are festivals that focus on the cultural and heritage aspects of our
country and are celebrated with enthusiasm and passion.
Non- Theme Highlights Designs
Religious
Festivals
Rehiyon- An annual celebration is The festival dance Participants
Rehiyon held to pay tribute to competition shows the wear colorful
Place: the migrants who have different cultures of the and use props
Marikina chosen to stay in different residents from that are
Date: 8 of
th
Marikina and different regions. appropriate to
December significantly contributed the region or
to its progress. province they
represent.
Panagbeng Panagbenga Parade of beautifully Colorful and
a means “season of arranged flowers atop floral decorated
Place: Baguio blooming”. A month-long in a float and street floats. Street
Date: flower festival held to dancing with dancers dancers wear
February give tribute to the city’s dressed with flowers floral and
beautifully grown and tribal costumes. cordillera region
flowers. inspired tribal
costumes.
Masskara Came from two words: Colorful artistry in The festival is a
Place: mass and kara (face) costumes and masks. sea of color and
Bacolod meaning many faces. Costumes are made vibrancy,
Date: 3 week
rd Dramatizes the with different colorful diverse patterns
of October steadfast character of fabrics and patterns are and designs.
the people and woven together to
symbolizes create ingenious pieces
Bacolod City's best- of intricate designs,
putting smile even in embellished with shiny
times of challenges. sequins and textured
feathers, multicolored
beads and other
elements. Paired and
partnered with
beautiful, towering
head pieces.
Kaamulan An ethnic festival showcases the unique creative artworks on
Place: that celebrates the indigenous culture their colorful floats
Bukidnon customs and through integrating that represent
Date: traditions of the different activities of different elements in
February seven tribal groups several sectors and their culture, the
that originally fusing them into one, vibrancy and eclectic
inhabited the creating a unique and designs in their
Bukidnon region, wonderful celebration costumes, the
in ethnic fashion powerful choreography
Matigsalug, in their dances,
Tigwahanon,
Higaunu,
Umayamnon,
Manobo,
Bukidnon, and
Talaandig;
Kadayawan a festival of The festival is showcasing
Place: Davao thanksgiving for honored by displaying different dances, floats
Date: August the gifts of nature, various farming and tribal costumes
the wealth of implements, fruits, and jewelry. The
culture and the flowers, vegetables, streets are adorned
bounties of harvest rice and corn grains with local fruits,
and serenity of as tribute to the gods. vegetables and other
living that is Singing, dancing and harvests,
derived from the offerings to their
Dabawenyo word, divine protectors
"madayaw" or
good, valuable and
superior.
