MAPEH 7-ADSI

Learning and Targeted Outcomes

a. Understands festivals as a synthesis of arts and a significant

expression of the celebration of life in various Philippine communities
b. Identifies the festivals and theatrical forms celebrated all over the
country throughout the year
c. Relate the culture of a community to their festivals
d. Manifest appreciation of Philippine Festivals through reflection from
experiences on attended festivals

Time Frame

• April 20-22, 2020

Introduction
Due to the pandemic that we are experiencing, we
missed one of the main events and probably the most awaited
event here in the city. What do you think is that event?
Definitely! It’s the Panagbenga Festival, or the “blooming
season” wherein we enjoy the mesmerizing, multicolored, fresh
 flowers. What else do you recall during the celebration of
Panagbenga? Of course! Session Road in Bloom is one of the
fulfilling experiences of the said event. Looking on the
bright side, we still have Panagbenga next year and I think
the celebration will be an auspicious and extravagant one
since we will have a lot of time to prepare after this
pandemic. Aside from Panagbenga, what other festivals do
we celebrate in our country? The whole year-round Philippine fiestas of all
kinds mark the Filipino calendar. Not only popular saints but also the most
obscure ones are given a place for celebration.

Why has this practice been imbedded in the Filipino culture?

As you continue to read the various festivals we celebrate here in our

country, please be guided by the following prompt questions:

a. What are the festivals you have attended already?

b. Do you enjoy going to festivals?
c. What activities normally take place in festivals?
d. What is the significance or relevance of a festival
in its community/region?
e. What are the highlights of the festivals?
PRE- TEST
Let’s see if you can identify or recognize the following festivals:
 Were you able to identify some or all the festivals above? Have you
attended any of them? Good! Now, let’s try to visit these festivals
using this module. Are you ready? Don’t forget to use the guide
questions. Let’s go!

10 Best Festivals
in the Philippines

1. Sinulog Festival

Location: Cebu City

Date: Every third week of January

What to expect:

The Sinulog Festival in Cebu City is one of the grandest festivals in the
country. The famous celebration is held to honor the Santo Nino (the Holy
Child Jesus), the patron saint of the City. In a nutshell, the Sinulog is a
dance ritual that marks the Filipino’s pagan past and its transition to
Christianity.

When it comes to eye candy, it’s hard to beat the pomp and pageantry that
happens in Sinulog. Parade participants are all decked out in outrageous
multi-colored costumes and dance to drums, native gongs, and trumpets.
Streets are flanked from end to end with food and souvenir vendors, as well
as onlookers raring for a glimpse of the spectacular performances.

Aside from the dancing and street parties, the Sinulog Festival also hosts
the SME trade fair where Cebu export products are sold. If you’re looking
for just one festival to attend, Sinulog should be on your list.

2. Dinagyang Festival

Location: Iloilo City

Date: Every fourth weekend of January

What to expect:

If Sinulog is one of the most globally-renowned festivals in the Philippines,

then Dinagyang is probably the most attended. “Dinagyang” is the Ilonggo
term for merrymaking or revelry, and true to its name, the festival is one of
the biggest world-class festivals in the country hosting a variety of
different events. The celebration is held to once again commemorate the
Santo Nino, or the Holy Child Jesus, and to celebrate the arrival of Malay
settlers in the city.

There are a lot to see and a plethora of events to attend. The festival is a
city-wide effort, so all schools and local institutions participate in making
the event remarkable for visitors.

The most popular event is the Dagyang Tribes Dance Competition. Here,
Ilonggo tribes are smeared in body-paint, present a tableau of folkloric
scenarios, and parade throughout the city while dancing, donning props, and
wearing outrageous costumes.

3. Masskara Festival

Location: Bacolod City

Date: October

What to expect:

Bacolod isn’t called the City of Smiles for nothing. People here are a fun-
loving bunch, and the city’s biggest festival reflects that. Attended by
around 3 million people around the world, annually, the Masskara Festival is
20 twenty days of non-stop street-dancing, drinking, and merrymaking. The
festival began in 1980 during a period of agricultural crisis as a means for
escapism.
The word Masskara is derived from the Filipino word mascara, which means
mask. In the festival, dancers, performers, and onlookers are all encouraged
to wear a smiling mask (a nod to Bacolod being the “City of Smiles”).
Historically, the masks were Filipino-inspired and featured ornate hand-
painted details, flowers, and feathers. Today, the masks are more influenced
by the Rio Carnival or the Carnival of Venice with plastic beads and sequins.

Expect a variety of events like dance competitions, parades, pageants, food

festivals, concerts, garden shows, trade fairs, bugle corps competitions, and
carnivals. The Electric Masskara is one of the festival’s most popular events,
featuring floats equipped with lights and music.

4. Ati-Atihan Festival

Location: Kalibo, Aklan

Date: The Third Sunday of January

What to expect:

The Ati-Atihan Festival in Aklan is the oldest festival in the Philippines,

which has earned it the distinction of being “The Mother of all Philippine
Festivals”. As the country’s first festival, the event is said to have inspired
most of the Philippines’ festivals including the Sinulog and Dinagyang. The
name Ati-Atihan is derived from the Ati-people: short, dark-skinned, and
frizzy-haired. Celebrated for over 800 years, the festival is held in honor of
the Holy Child Jesus.

It is worthwhile to note that while the festival is pagan in origin, it was the
Spanish that turned the celebration into Christian event.

The festival is a week-long event of street parties and dancing competitions.

Unlike other festivals in the Philippines where onlookers are limited to
staying at the sidelines, anyone can jump into the parade and bust a move
with the performers!

Surviving Ati-Atihan is all about knowing how to save your energy. There’s
lots of booze, food, and dancing, and the weeklong event can be draining for
the uninitiated!

5. Pahiyas Festival

Location: Lucban, Quezon

Date: Every May 15

What to expect:

Nothing puts a spotlight on Filipino creativity more than the Pahiyas Festival,
a harvest celebration held annually in May. The word “Pahiyas” means to
decorate, a fitting name for the festival’s ultimate goal – to see which house
in the neighborhood is best decorated with farm produce like vegetables,
fruits, and kiping (a type of wafer made with rice and food coloring).

The festival traces its root back to the 15th century when farmers would
display their harvests at the local church to honor their patron saint – St.
Isidore the Laborer. The priest would then bless the harvest as a way of
thanking the Lord for providing them. As time went by and for convenience’s
sake, farmers chose to display their harvests at their homes instead, so the
parish priest could visit and bless their harvests.

The modernized Pahiyas festival is less religious and more pomp and
pageantry. Apart from the house decorating competition, the festival also
hosts contests, exhibits, parades, and various cultural shows. All of these
are aimed towards putting a spotlight on Lucban’s thriving tourism industry.

6. Panagbenga Festival

Location: Baguio City

Date: During the Holy Week in March or April

What to expect:

In Panagbenga, you’re going to see more flowers in a day than you would in a
lifetime. Named after the Kankanaey term that means “season of blooming”,
the festival highlights the traditions, values, and history of Baguio and the
Cordilleras. It is also a tribute to Baguio’s thriving flower plantations and its
rise from the 1990 Luzon earthquake. Lasting over a month-long, this
festival is one of the longest in the Philippines.

For travelers looking for Instagram-worthy photos, the festival is a feast

for the eyes. As one of the most colorful festivals in the Philippines, you can
expect a plethora of vibrant flower-covered floats, lots of street dancing by
dancers clothed in flower-themed costumes, and a number of exhibits
featuring local products.

The Grand Street Parade, one of the festivals’ most popular highlights, is a
dance and costume competition where participants dance to Cordilleran
music.

7. Moriones Festival

Location: Marinduque

Date: During the Holy Week in March or April

What to expect:

Come to Marinduque during the Holy Week and you’ll be surrounded by a

throng of men clad in full Roman armor, complete with breastplates,
vibrantly colored tunics, imperial helmets, and spears. No, it’s not Halloween.
You’re in the Moriones Festival, a religious event held every year to
commemorate the life of St. Longinus – a centurion who pierced Jesus with a
spear as he was hanging on the cross.
According to the bible, Longinus’ faltering sight was healed when some of
Jesus’ blood spilled into his eyes. This miracle urged him to convert, causing
him to leave the army and serve as a monk in Cappadocia.

The festival’s name is derived from the word “morion” – the helmet of Roman
soldiers. The Moriones is a week-long event aimed at re-enacting the search
for Longinus and the “Passion of the Christ”. In the festival, throngs of men
dressed as Roman military roam the streets and playfully scare children.

Though there’s not much interaction for onlookers, witnessing the

reenactments is a treat in itself. This is also the perfect time to explore
Marinduque’s beaches, caves, and hot spring resorts!

8. Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival

Location: Tacloban City

Date: Every June 29

What to expect:

The Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival in Tacloban is one of the most anticipated

festivals in the city. It was first celebrated in 1987 as a way of showcasing
the tattooed tribespeople of Leyte and Samar called the Pintados. It’s one
of the most colorful cultural-religious festivals in the country, and for
travelers visiting Tacloban in June, it’s a definite inclusion to the itinerary.

The Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival features lots of street dancing where

participants were vibrant costumes and ornate body paint that resembles
the armor used by tribal warriors. Apart from the parade, the festival
community also hosts beauty pageants.

9. Sirong Festival

Location: Surigao del Sur

Date: Every August 15

What to expect:

From vibrant warrior costumes to intricate dances, the Sirong Festival in

Surigao del Sur is truly an unforgettable experience. Sirong is an ethnic
mardi-gras parade aimed at reenacting the battle between Christians and
Muslims. In the history of Cantilan, early Christians led by the Spanish had
to defend themselves against Muslim raids, and this is where the festival
has derived inspiration.

The festival began in the Municipality of Cantilan in 2004 and was flocked to
by various people from the neighboring Surigao municipalities. The festival is
essentially one big dance competition, with each contingent reaching at least
a hundred costumed performers.

The winner takes home a huge cash prize, but if you aren’t performing,
staying at the sidelines and watching the events unfold is worth the visit!
10. Giant Lantern Festival

Location: San Fernando

Date: The weekend before Christmas Eve

What to expect:

Trust in San Fernando, the Christmas Capital of the Philippines, to throw one
of the biggest Christmas-themed festivals in the country. The Giant Lantern
Festival is an event that revolves around a lantern-making competition. In
this event, participants are encouraged to craft up to 15-foot diameter giant
Christmas Lanterns with one rule: each lantern must be crafted from only
local materials.

Residents of each barrio volunteer to contribute to its creation, from the

design to sourcing its materials and providing labor. As the years go by, the
lanterns become bigger and more intricate in design. Once all lanterns have
been made, they are paraded around each barrio on Christmas Eve.

Did you know that there’s a fiesta happening in the Philippines

every month of the year? There are approximately 42,000 major
and minor festivals in the country, a majority of which are held in
a barangay (village) level.
Knowing all these things, what do you
think is the importance of festivals? And
what do we benefit from it?

Personal Reflection
Festivals are like glue in our life that keeps us
attached to relationships in society. When we
are together as a family, friends, and society, it
creates a sense of unity. Unity is the most
powerful weapon to fight with any obstacle in
life. When the family is connected to festivals,
it’s the most precious and joyful time. Festivals
also create harmony with nature, promote
culture and tradition, spread brotherhood and faith, mark
significant events important to human race, and speed up the
economic development.

How about you, what is your take away on

this one? Kindly share it also!
References:

The 10 Best Festivals in the Philippines - Experience True Filipino

Culture. (2019, December 27). Retrieved from
https://viatravelers.com/festivals-in-the-philippines/

Rescher Kim V. Galinato

MAPEH Teacher