SAMPAGUITA FESTIVAL

Sampaguita Festival
The Parish of Saint Augustine celebrated its 440th Founding Anniversary on May 5, 2012 with the
launching of the 1st Sampaguita Festival; participated by the six parishes of Lubao. Parish of St.
Augustine de Hippo bagged the Over-All Champion trophy.
2nd Sampaguita Festival was held on May 5, 2013 participated by the 10 secondary public schools
of Lubao. San Vicente National High School emerged as the Over-All Champion of the festival.
The 3rd Sampaguita Festival was celebrated on May 4, 2014 and participated by the 7 clustered
barangays of Lubao. Cluster 6 (Cluster Malagu - Barangay Sto. Domingo, San Miguel, Concepcion,
San Francisco, San Vicente, San Antonio and San Jose Apunan) was the Over-All Champion of the
festival.
The 4th Sampaguita Festival was celebrated on May 4-5, 2015 and participated by the 7 clustered
barangays of Lubao. Cluster 6 (Cluster Malagu - Barangay Sto. Domingo, San Miguel, Concepcion,
San Francisco, San Vicente, San Antonio and San Jose Apunan) emerged again as the Over-All
Champion of the festival. Festival King and Queen Pageant and Cong Dadong Awards were launched
on the 5th day of May.
For the 5th edition of Sampaguita Festival, Cluster 6 (Cluster Malagu - Barangay Sto. Domingo, San
Miguel, Concepcion, San Francisco, San Vicente, San Antonio and San Jose Apunan) was declared as
the Over-All Champion for 3 consecutive years. The Streetdancing, Float Parade and Free
Interpretation were held on May 4, 2016 and the Cong Dadong Awards (Pres. Diosdado Macapagal
Awards for Outstanding Lubenians) and the Festival King and Queen were held on May 5, 2016.
 DUMAN FESTIVAL

SANTA RITA -- Tourists and food delicacy lovers will again troop to this town for its duman delicacy
in the upcoming 13th Duman Festival this December 5 at the town's famed EcoPark area with
performances from homegrown Kapampangan artist group Arti.StaRita. Andy Alviz and his group
Arti.StaRita started the festival in 2002, which originated from the long-standing tradition of
pounding and winnowing unripe glutinous rice (lacatan) and turning it into a light pale gold or
green delicacy called "duman." The festival features alfresco dining were rows and rows of delicacy
stalls would sell various pastries and native dishes of the town, with duman being the major
highlight. The food sold during the festival would include native pastry attractions of the town like
sansrival, masa podridu, mamon and mamon tostado. Sta. Rita is known as a pastry town with a
strong culinary tradition. The festival has attracted a steady following of local and international
tourists. The Duman Festival is, arguably, the only festival of its kind that is held in the evening and
features festive dining until the wee hours of the evening. The program for the event is expected to
start at 5:00 pm. The event is open to food enthusiasts and tourists who would like to sample native
Kapampangan cooking and delicacies. Different grades of duman, the star of the festival celebration,
will also be sold in the event. Traditionally regarded as a Christmas delicacy, duman is eaten with
hot chocolate or milk as additive or accompanying drink.
 GIANT LANTERN FESTIVAL 

The Giant Lantern Festival (Kapampangan: Ligligan Parul) is an annual festival held in December

(Saturday before Christmas Eve) in the City of San Fernando in the Philippines. The festival features

The San Fernando lantern industry evolved from the Giant Lantern Festival of San Fernando. The
festival, which is held every December, finds its roots in Bacolor where a much simpler activity was
held. Following the transfer of the provincial capital from Bacolor to San Fernando in August 1904,
this lantern event followed as well. "Ligligan Parol" was said to have started in San Fernando in
1904. But some say that the "Ligligan Parol" did not happen immediately after the transfer and in
fact began in 1908.
This predecessor of the modern day Giant Lantern Festival was actually a religious activity which
we know today as “lubenas.” The lanterns measured just two feet in diameter, a far cry from the
fifteen feet that we see today. These were created in each barrio from bamboo and other locally
available materials. During the nine-day novena before Christmas, which coincided with the
simbang gabi from December 16 to 24, these paruls were brought around each barrio in procession
to their visita. Before the midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, the lanterns were brought to the town
church together with the barrio patrons.
This tradition gradually evolved as the lanterns became bigger and the designs more intricate.
Later, one big lantern was made for each barrio, which was created through a cooperative effort.
Each resident contributed to its construction, from the concept and design, to the materials and
labor. In the end, these lanterns became a symbol of unity for the barrios.
".
 APUNG IRU FLUVIAL FESTIVAL 2013

Apung Iru Fluvial Festival 2013

Apung Iru Fluvial Festival is an annual celebration held in Apalit, Pampanga every June 28-30. It is
also the feast day of the town's Patron, St. Peter. The local term “Apung Iru” refers to the image of
St. Peter. 

Every year, devotees in the town of Apalit holds a colorful fluvial procession or Apung Iru Fluvial
Parade. It is the most awaited activity of the celebration.

On its first day (June 28), the holy image was transferred through a fluvial procession from
Capalangan to Apalit Parish Church in a colorful and decorated float. While the float was traveling
with other boats along the Pampanga River, devotees were praying and singing religious hymns.
The image had stayed in Apalit Church until the last day of the feast (June 30) and returned to its
original shrine at Capalangan with same process and river routes.

During the recurrence, thousands of people gathered along the riverbanks waiting the comeback
of the floats with the Holy image.

Dousing of water, waving of flowers and dancing the traditional dance called “Kuraldal” as the
pagoda carrying the image of Apung Iru passes by are some of the traditional ways to welcome the
town’s Patron.
 HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual event that occurs between
January and February in Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga. It features multicolored hot
air balloons with more than a hundred balloon pilots from around the world. This four-day hot air
balloon event is the biggest and longest-running aviation sports event in the Philippines.
The festival also features a number of events in skydiving, flag jumps, micro light and rocketry
demonstrations, small plane fly-bys and fly-ins, remote-control airplane and helicopter flying
exhibitions, freestyle aerobatics, precision maneuvers, light airplane balloon bursting, ultra-light
flying formation and flour bomb dropping, kite-making and choreographed kite-flying, hi-start
launch gliding, control-line aircraft flying, pylon racing, banner towing, aero-modeling symposium
and races between ultra lights and motorcycles.[1] An estimated 100,000 visitors locally and from
around the world come in to see this event.