Philippine Festivals

Ati-Atihan Festival
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
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.
Sinulog not only sets the stage for Cebuano talents but also for other regional
acts as contingents from neighboring provinces are showcased through street
dancing, pageantry, and sports. It is also known for hosting the country’s
biggest raves, drawing a growing number of party-goers from all over the
country year after year.
Dinagyang Festival
4th weekend of January | Iloilo City
If you happen to know someone from Iloilo, try and ask them about this
Philippine festival. You’ll see how their pride for their city’s festival is nothing
short of astounding.
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.
According to Iloilo City Tourism Officer Ben Jimena, the winning tribes are
now going international and will be promoting Philippine tourism to countries
like the United States, Canada, and Singapore.
Panagbenga Festival
February | Baguio City
The word “Panagbenga” comes from the Kankanaey term that means “season
of blooming.” With the numerous parades of floral floats and children dressed
as flora and fauna, it definitely lives up to its name, making Baguio the perfect
destination for those who still have a hangover from the huge festivals in
January.
Adding to the usual Baguio tourist sites to visit, the whole length of the Session
Road during Panagbenga becomes a feast for the eyes. Called “Session
Road in Bloom,” Baguio’s famous street is closed to vehicular traffic to make
way for flower carts, street dancing, and outdoor cafes.
Now that it’s a huge event bringing in thousands of tourists each year, it’s
important to plan ahead (make early restaurant reservations, bring a map,
etc.) if you are attending this Philippine festival.
Moriones Festival
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.
Aliwan Fiesta
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.
For a lot of people who are in Manila, heading to the CCP Complex is the
cheapest way to see quality performances from tribes representing festivals in
their respective provinces. Plus, it’s always great to see tribes from Dinagyang
and Sinulog give their A-performances to grab the million-peso grand prize.
Pahiyas Festival
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 songhanging on the
exteriors of their homes. You can actually bring a basket and pick the produce
from the walls for free.
Pintados Festival
29th of June | Tacloban City
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.
This festival has been growing in popularity because of the contingents they
send to the Aliwan Fiesta every year. They don’t fail to amaze. Leyte is also
the home base of other festivals like Alikaraw, Pasaka, and the 2009 Aliwan
Fiesta champions, Buyogan.
Kadayawan Festival
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.
MassKara Festival
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.”
Like Sinulog, it is also swarmed by the younger party crowd as it is

conveniently scheduled during the semester break.
There are still a lot of Philippine festivals not mentioned in this list. The next
time you book a flight, you might want to consider scheduling it during that
destination’s festival dates.
Kinabayo Festival
25th of July | Dapitan
For quite some time now, Kinabayo Festival of Dapitan has become one of
the most celebrated festivals in the whole Zamboanga Del Norte.
Dapitanons have remained faithful to their devotion to their patron Saint
and Kinabayo Festival is their great way of honouring him.
Celebrated on the feast day, July 25, a magnificent re-enactment of the

Battle of Covadonga is staged before the city folk and a sea of tourists.
Thousands of residents would gather at the city center not just to be
entertained by the number of events lined up for the festival but also to
show their devotion to their patron saint.
Peñafrancia Festival
second weekeng of September | Naga
Penafrancia Festival is a territorial religious festival fixated on the City of

Naga. This celebration of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia go up against the
biggest and most famous religious event in the country. The Peñafrancia
celebration has come to be a vital marker of the city's character, to such an
extent that Naga regularly alludes to itself as the "pioneer city" in its
advertising activities. The city is even home to a huge triumphal curve, the
Porta Mariae, with a gold picture of Our Lady of Peñafrancia to finish
everything.
Religious journey is a center component of the Peñafrancia occasions, yet

the weeks encompassing the real devour days are stuffed with an assorted
and apparently common exhibit of municipal festivals.
Longganisa Festival
January 22nd to January 25th | Vigan
Vigan is a popular tourist destination because of its museums and

architecture. Still, it is also known for its longganisa which is a local kind of
salami. The dish is made in accordance with a century-old tradition and
has a truly unique taste. Although there were several tries to replicate the
combination of sliced spicy meat, sugarcane vinegar, and garlic, no one
can compete with local chefs.
In late January, the Vigan celebrates City Fiesta and Longganisa Festival is
included in the festive program. It's normally celebrated around January
22nd to January 25th—the dates vary from year to year. During the festival,
every tourist has a chance to try authentic longganisa from Vigan. Usually,
local people eat salami for breakfast but the food itself is too good to be
eaten during the morning hours only.
Sangyaw Festival
29th day of June | Tacloban City
Sangyaw Festival is the other festival celebrated in the city of Tacloban.

Sangyaw is drawn from the local word for “herald”. It is celebrated on the
29th day of June, as with the Pintados Festival celebration. Imelda Marcos,
the former Philippine First Lady, conceptualized this festival on the year
1974. However, it was discontinued by the people when the Marcos family
was involved in a historical controversial issue. In the year 2008, the
Sangyaw Festival made its comeback through the decision of the Tacloban
City mayor to revive it. Now, the Sangyaw Festival is celebrated along with
the Pintados Festival celebration.
Parade of Lights – consists of Floats, merrymakers and local drums and

bugle drums from different schools and barangays of Tacloban City. Part of
the highlight of the fiesta celebration is a magnificent nighttime Parade of
Lights that will glow with the moon and the stars heralded and accented by
innovative music and rhythm, Upbeat Street dancing, merrymaking, a
spectacle of creative costumes and many more.
Higantes Festival
22nd and 23rd November| Angono Rizal
The Higantes Festival is a local festival held annually In Angono,

Philippines. It is celebrated every 4th week of November in honor of the
Feast of Pope St. Clement I.
The festivities are a two-day annual affair observed in November 22 and 23

annually in the town of Angono. The festival features a parade of hundreds
of papier-mâché giants which are locally referred to as higantes. The
puppets rendered as man or woman in various costumes; their faces give a
commanding look, their hands on the waist. A 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall higante
could take about a month to make. The Angono local government holds
seminars on how to create the craft, keeping the tradition alive.
Pattaradday Festival
First week of May (5 days celebration) | Santiago City
Pattaradday Festival is an inclusive event which unifies the 17 ethno-

linguistic groups in the city. The festival was initiated by civic leaders, the
Art Association of Santiago, concerned citizens and the city government to
showcase local identity and Santiago’s origins. Santiago is also home to
Muslim, Chinese and Indian minorities, making it a melting pot in northern
Luzon and a city living in unity despite diversity.
Pattaraday Festival is a 5 days celebration of 14 ethnic groups. Pattaraday

is an Ibanag term for unity. It was held to mark the city’s founding
anniversary and likewise to honor Saint James the Apostle, the city’s
Patron.
MAPEH
Jamela Rio Verdun Uson

7-Cattleya

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Ati-Atihan Festival

3rd weekend of January | Kalibo, Aklan

3rd weekend of January | Cebu City

It is one of the most attended festivals in the Philippines, attracting millions of

4th weekend of January | Iloilo City

February | Baguio City

Holy Week | Boac, Gasan, and Mogpog, Marinduque

This week-long celebration of the life of St. Longinus is what makes

During the festival you will see Marinduqueños dressed up as centurions

Last weekend of April | Pasay City, Manila

Aliwan Fiesta is more of a competition than it is a festival. However, it has

15th of May | Lucban, Quezon

It’s not uncommon to

29th of June | Tacloban City

3rd week of August | Davao City

Kadayawan comes from the Dabawenyo word “madayaw,” a friendly greeting

It is a celebration of Davao‘s as well as the rest of Mindanao’s abundance;

19th of October | Bacolod City

MassKara is a combination of the words “mass” which means “crowd” and

Like Sinulog, it is also swarmed by the younger party crowd as it is

25th of July | Dapitan

Celebrated on the feast day, July 25, a magnificent re-enactment of the

second weekeng of September | Naga

Penafrancia Festival is a territorial religious festival fixated on the City of

Religious journey is a center component of the Peñafrancia occasions, yet

January 22nd to January 25th | Vigan

Vigan is a popular tourist destination because of its museums and

29th day of June | Tacloban City

Sangyaw Festival is the other festival celebrated in the city of Tacloban.

Parade of Lights – consists of Floats, merrymakers and local drums and

22nd and 23rd November| Angono Rizal

The Higantes Festival is a local festival held annually In Angono,

The festivities are a two-day annual affair observed in November 22 and 23

First week of May (5 days celebration) | Santiago City

Pattaradday Festival is an inclusive event which unifies the 17 ethno-

Pattaraday Festival is a 5 days celebration of 14 ethnic groups. Pattaraday

Jamela Rio Verdun Uson

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