MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is full of colorful festivals, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and diverse traditions of the archipelago.
Each region has its own unique celebrations that show the joyous nature of the Filipinos. These festivals range from religious observances to intimate gatherings, cultural celebrations, and street parties, making them sights to behold all year round.
Philippine festivals have long been an invitation to embrace the local culture. Here are some of the famous fiestas that loop you in to the rich Pinoy customs.
Sinulog
The world-famous Sinulog Festival has long been one of the most anticipated festivals in Visayas.
Celebrated in Cebu City every third Sunday of January, Sinulog features dance parties resembling a water wave, which goes two steps forward and one step back.
The grand festival also honors the Santo Niño, or the Holy Child, as it celebrates the country’s transition from a pagan past into a Catholic nation.
In a dazzling display of colors, the Cebu streets typically get filled with performers in elaborate costumes and intricate headdresses, on top of the sounds of drumbeats and vibrant music.
The festival traces its historic origin to 1521, when explorer Ferdinand Magellan presented Hara Amihan, wife of Rajah Humabon, with a statue of the Santo Niño to officially convert the island to Catholicism.
As a feast highlight, Sinulog holds a grand parade with massive floats, lively performers, and spectacular events in the streets of Cebu.
Ati-Atihan
Perhaps the most energetic festival in the country, the Ati-Atihan Festival takes pride in its spirited show of chants, dances, and beats, separating itself from other feasts in the Philippines. It is celebrated every third Sunday of January in Kalibo, Aklan.
As the festival honors the Santo Niño (the infant Jesus), some of the famous chants that tourists and locals holler in the streets are “Hala Bira! Pwera Pasma!” and the classic “Viva! Santo Niño!”
The festival culminates with a grand procession, where the faithful march to churches to offer prayers and songs in gratitude to the Santo Niño.
Dinagyang
The Dinagyang Festival, celebrated every fourth Sunday of January in Iloilo City, is the province’s version of the Ati-Atihan Festival.
It started in 1967 when a replica of the Santo Niño statue in Cebu was brought to Iloilo as a gift to the Parish of San Jose in Iloilo City. They welcomed the image with a parade through the major streets of the city, before evolving into the Dinagyang festival we know today.
Dinagyang, a Hiligaynon word extrapolated from dagyang meaning “merrymaking,” features three major events — the Ati-Atihan street dancing contest, the Kasadyahan street dancing contest, and the crowning of Miss Dinagyang.
The festival is also an opportunity for the Ilonggos to praise God for a successful harvest, with performances by tribes from all across the Panay region.
Panagbenga
Known as the “Flower Festival,” Panagbenga transforms the cool Baguio City into a kaleidoscope of colors, with floats covered in thousands of fresh flowers.
Panagbenga, which means “a season of blossoming,” bursts with activities for a month, with the grand float parade its biggest highlight.
Breathtaking floral floats wind their way through the streets of Baguio, accompanied by festive music and lively street dances, drawing thousands of tourists to the city every February.
The vibrant festival also funnels more people to some of Baguio’s top tourist sites, such as Session Road and the Burnham Park.
In an often-forgotten fact, Panagbenga came following the 1990 Luzon earthquake that devastated Baguio and nearby provinces.
The festival served as a celebration of the city’s rise from the destruction before morphing into one of the biggest festive attractions in Luzon.
Pahiyas
Thanking God for good harvests is a running theme for most Philippine festivals, including the Pahiyas in Lucban, Quezon.
Pahiyas honors San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, and locals celebrate a good harvest by showing off their artistic skills and creating unique decorations in their houses and streets.
During the festival, which happens every year in May, there’s a parade of townspeople dressed in costumes, enormous paper-mache figures, and constructed floats.
Houses and floats are also adorned with fruits, vegetables, and vibrant kipings, which are traditional Filipino leaf-shaped wafers made from glutinous rice.
Visitors can also take in the festive atmosphere while enjoying traditional dishes such as longganisang Lucban and pancit habhab as they celebrate their agricultural abundance.
Masskara
MassKara is more than just an annual celebration in Bacolod City.
The festival was first established as a means of uplifting the people’s spirits and restoring their smiles after the province’s primary source of income, sugar, fell to an all-time low in the 1980s, causing one of the worst famines in the nation’s history.
The people brought the veiled metaphor to life by donning happy masks — often designed with colorful glitters and feathers — in spite of the adversity. Simply put, the smiling masks are a monument to the city’s resiliency and joyous spirit.
The festival, which resembles a massive masquerade party, is full of food, drinks, dancing, and more party vibes. It also holds competitions that are common in Philippine festivities, such as downing coconut milk and chasing after a pig.
Masskara is typically slated in October.
Kadayawan
Davao comes alive whenever the Kadayawan Festival kicks off.
The festival got its name from the Dabawon word madayaw meaning “good, valuable, and superior,’ which often encapsulates the Kadayawan feast in August.
As gratitude for abundant harvests, the festival incorporates street dancing, big parades, and stunning floral floats, all mixed with the pulse of traditional music.
The locals pay tribute to their indigenous people, too, by decorating the streets with fresh fruits, vegetables, and handicrafts.
Kadayawan also features boat racing, horse fights, and beauty pageants, among other colorful festivities that fill the city with an inviting vibe. – Rappler.com