Festivals and

Fiestas
in the
Philippines
Ati-Atihan
Festival
Ati-Atihan Festival
3rd Sunday of January

 a feast held in honor of

the Santo Niño held
annually in January
concluding on third Sunday,
in the town of Kalibo, Aklan
in the Philippines.
-Celebrants paint their
faces with black soot and
wear bright, outlandish
costumes as they dance in
revelry during the last
three days of this two
week-long festival.
Sinulog
3RD SUNDAY OF JANUARY
honors the child Jesus,

known as the Santo Niño
(Holy Child), patron of the
city of Cebu.

a dance ritual that


commemorates the
Cebuano people’s pagan
origin, and their
acceptance of Christianity.
features a street parade


with participants in bright-

colored costumes dancing
to the rhythm of drums,
trumpets, and native
gongs.
SUBLIAN
FESTIVAL
23rd of July
- Annual celebration
reflecting the Batanguenos’
commitment and great love
to Holy Cross of Bauan and
Agoncillo, Santo Nino of
Batangas city
Subli – performend with
chanting and accompanied
with drums

Subsub – bending your

body forward or downward

bali - broken
Male dancers are in trunk-
forward-bend position

Lupak- sharing of
“Nilupak” a delicacy made
from cassava, sweet potato
or banana
Moriones
Festival
Holy Week
an colorful folk-
religious festival held on
Holy Week on the island
of Marinduque.

reenactment of the
story of Saint Longinus
The “Moriones” are men and
women in costumes and masks
replicating the garb of biblical
Roman soldiers for an entire week,
scare children away and court
ladies by singing and dancing.

– Morion means “mask” or “visor,”

a part of the medieval Roman
armor which covers the face.
Kadayawan
Festival
3rd week of August
an annual festival in the city
of Davao every third week of
August

Its name derives from the


friendly greeting “Madayaw”,
from the Dabawenyo word
“dayaw”, meaning good,
valuable, superior or beautiful.
a celebration of life,


a thanksgiving for
the good harvest and
serenity of living.
- Originated from
tribal festivals of
the “Lumad” and
Muslim tribes of
Davao
- Used to ba called APO
DUWALING to promote
Davao’s famous icons

1988 – festival was

renamed KADAYAWAN
SA DAVAO
DAVAO’S FAMOUS ICONS:
MT. APO – highest peak of the
country

DURIAN – King of fruits

WALING – WALING – queen of

orchids
IBALONG
OR
IBALON
FESTIVAL
Held in Bicol region

Express friendliness, enthusiasm



and goodwill to people

To commemorate the 3 heroes of



the Bicol epic in the town of

Ibaong

 Baltog, Handayong and Bantong

 People parade in
the streets wearing
masks and costumes
like the heroes and
villains of the epic
Dinagyang
4th Sunday of January
The Dinagyang is a
religious and cultural
festival in Iloilo City,
Philippines held on
the fourth Sunday of
January.
Dinagyang was voted as
the best Tourism Event
for 2006, 2007 and 2008
by the Association of
Tourism Officers in the
Philippines.
Panagbenga
Festival
Whole Month of February
- festival in Baguio was
created as a tribute to
the city’s flowers and
as a way to rise up from
the devastation of the
1990 Luzon earthquake.
- includes floats that are decorated
with flowers unlike those used in
Pasadena’s Rose Parade.

- - includes street dancing, presented

by dancers clad in flower-inspired
costumes, that is inspired by the
Bendian, an Ibaloi dance of
celebration that came from the
Cordillera region.
Kaamulan
second half of February
to March 10
The Kaamulan Festival is a

Bukidnon ethnic-cultural festival,
from the Binukid word amul, “to
gather”, is an indigenous Bukidnon
term for a gathering for any
purpose.

The Festival is held in Malaybalay


City from the second half of
February to March 10, the
anniversary date of the foundation
of Bukidnon as a province in 1917,
to celebrate the culture and
tradition of the seven ethnic
tribal groups—Bukidnon,
Higaonon, Talaandig, Manobo,
Matigsalug, Tigwahanon and
Umayamnon—that originally
inhabited the province.
Maleldo
Festival
Every year on Good Friday or the

Friday before Easter a dozen or so
penitents – mostly men but with
the occasional woman – are taken
to a rice field in the barrio of San
Pedro Cutud, 3km (2 miles) from
the proper of City of San
Fernando, Pampanga and nailed to
a cross using two-inch (5 cm)
stainless steel nails that have
been soaked in alcohol to
disinfect them.
Turumba
 Every year during the months of April and
may, the people of Pakil, in the province of
Laguna celebrates the Turumba Festival.

 It commemorates the seven sorrows of the

Blessed Virgin Mary. It is held 7 times each
year between the months of April and May.

 The first is held on the Friday before Palm

Sunday and the last falls on Pentecost
Sunday.
Flores de Mayo & Santacruzan
  a Catholic festival held in the Philippines in
the month of May.

 Santacruzan is the queen of Maytime festivals.

It is a novena procession, in commemoration
of Saint Helena’s finding of the cross. Saint
Helena was the mother of Constantine the
Great.

Flores de Mayo & Santacruzan

1st May – 31st May
Carabao Festival
 Begining May 14th, the people of Pulilan
in Bulacan Province, San Isidro in Nueva
Ecija Province, and Angono in Rizal
Province celebrate for two days.

 On the first day, farmers pay homage to

the beast of burden which is the farmer’s
best friend – the lowly carabao.

 In the afternoon, farmers lead their
carabaos to the church square to be part
of the procession. At the church, the
carabaos kneel for their blessings.

 On the second day, the carabaos compete

in a friendly race.
Pahiyas
Festival
 Lucban celebrates the Pahiyas Festival in
honor of the patron saint of farmers, St.
Isidore.

 This festival showcases a street of houses

which are adorned with fruits, vegetables,
agricultural products, handicrafts and
kiping, a rice-made decoration, which
afterwards can be eaten grilled or fried.
The houses are judged and the best one is
proclaimed the winner.

Pahiyas Festival
15th May
Obando Fertility Rites
 Obando Fertility Rites
17th May – 19th May

 “Santa Clarang pinong-pino, Ang pangako ko ay ganito,

Pagdating ko sa Obando, Sasayaw ako ng pandanggo.”
 The Obando Fertility Rites are a Filipino dance ritual. Every
year during the month of May, to the tune of musical
instruments made out of bamboo materials, the men,
women and children of Obando, Bulacan, Philippines wear
traditional dance costumes to dance on the streets followed
by the images of their patron saints San Pascual Baylon (St.
Paschal), Santa Clara (St. Clare) and Nuestra Señora de
Salambao (Our Lady of Salambao), while singing the song
Santa Clara Pinung-Pino.
 The feast days or dance festivals are held for three
consecutive days: May 17 for St. Paschal, May 18 for St.
Claire and May 19 for the Our Lady of Salambaw.
 What makes the Obando fiesta unique among Philippine
festivals is the dance performed in the streets by the
childless women.
Pintados
PINTADOS FESTIVAL
29th June

 The Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival is a merry-

making event lasting a whole month, highlights
of which include the Leyte Kasadyaan Festival
of Festivals, the Pintados Festival Ritual Dance
Presentation and the Pagrayhak Grand Parade.
 The Leyteños celebrate a religious festival in a

unique and colorful way. Since the Visayans are

experienced in the art of body tattooing, men
and women are fond of tattooing themselves.
SANDUGO FESTIVAL
 The Spanish colonization of the Philippines began
with a blood-sealed peace treaty on the shores of
Bohol.

 July 1-2

 Check out the Sandugo street dancing parade

featuring ten colorfully-dressed groups dancing to
the beat of drums.

 There's also a traditional Filipino carnival, a martial

arts festival, and Miss Bohol Sandugo Beauty
Pageant, among the dozen of other exciting
activities.
Peñafrancia Fluvial Festival
Penafrancia Fluvial
Third Saturday and Sunday of September

 The Peñafrancia Festival in Naga City, Camarines

Sur, Bicol Region. During the festivities, people
attend church services, followed by parades on
the streets, fireworks, and feasting.
 The ninth day, usually falling on the third
Saturday of September, is marked by a fluvial
procession.
 The image of the Virgin Mary is carried on a barge
which is trailed by thousands of devotees in boats
gliding alongside. People who line the river banks
shout “Viva la Virgen! as the Virgin passes by.
ZAMBOANGA HERMOSA
FESTIVAL
 All roads in Mindanao lead to Zamboanga, as the
"City of Flowers" celebrates its grand, annual
Hermosa Festival.
 The vintas, those colorful native sea boats, once
again make their appearance in a fast-paced,
race-till-you-drop regatta.
 There's also a wealth of cultural and flower
shows, art exhibits, and trade fairs. It's an all-out
celebration of life - Chavacano style!

ZAMBOANGA HERMOSA
FESTIVAL
Date: October 10-12
MassKara Festival
 The MassKara Festival is a week-long festival held each
year in Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental
province.

 The festival features a street dance competition where

people from all walks of life troop to the streets to see
colorfully-masked dancers gyrating to the rhythm of
Latin musical beats in a display of mastery, gaiety,
coordination and stamina.

 The word MassKara has a double meaning. First, it is a

fusion of the English word “mass” or many and “kara”,
the Spanish word for “face.” MassKara then becomes a
“mass of faces,” and these faces have to be smiling to
project Bacolod already known in the late 70’s as the
City of Smiles.

MassKara Festival
3rd weekend nearest to 19th October
Lanzones Festival
  Each year there is a Lanzones Festival held in
October. The week-long festival is one of the
more colorful events in the Philippines.
 The Lanzones festival celebrated its 30th
Anniversary last October 2009.

Lanzones Festival
25th October
Higantes Festival
 Angono celebrates the “Higantes Festival” which
coincides with the Feast of Saint Clement, the Patron
Saint of Angono.
 Higantes Festival is now promoted as tourism-
generating event in the country. This attracts numerous
tourist from all over the world.
 The higantes are made of paper-mache. Higantes
measures four to five feet in diameter and ten to
Higantes
twelve feet in height.
 Traditionally,
23rd November it began in the last century when Angono
was a Spanish hacienda. This higantes was influenced by
the Mexican art form of paper-mache brought by the
Spanish priests to the Philippines.
Giant Lanterns Festival
  The Giant Lanterns Festival is an annual
festival held in December (Saturday before
Christmas Eve) in the City of San Fernando in
the Philippines.
 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”.

Giant Lanterns Festival

December – Saturday before Christmas Eve