Arianne Grace C.

Elizario BEED 2A

10 Different festivals celebration in the Philippines

1. Sinulog Festival
Location: Cebu City
Date: 3rd Week of January
This is probably one of the grandest festivals held in the country. The celebration is to
honor the life of Santo Nino (The Holy Child Jesus) which is the patron saint of Cebu
City. Before the pandemic, this festival attracts more than 2 million tourists from all over
the country and even foreigners from different countries. “Sinulog” is a dance ritual that
depicts the pagan culture of Filipinos and its transition to Christianity. Aside from the
religious celebrations held in Sinulog Festival, it is also well known for grand street
banquets during the day before (bisperas) and the actual day of the festival.

2. Ati-Atihan Festival
Location: Kalibo, Aklan
Date: 3rd Sunday of January
The Ati-Atihan Festival. Consider this as the “OG” of all festivals in the Philippines. It is
also known as the “Mother of all Philippine Festivals” this event is said to have inspired
famous festivals such as the Sinulog and Dinagyang Festival.

3. Dinagyang Festival
Location: Iloilo City
Date: 4th week of January
If Sinulog is considered one of the grandest festivals in the country, then Dinagyang is
considered the most attended. Once again, this festival is held to honor the life of Santo
Nino, the Holy Child Jesus, the arrival of Malay settlers on the island, and also the
legendary barter of Panay Island from the natives “Aetas” or “Atis”.
4. Pahiyas Festival
Location: Lucban, Quezon
Date: Every May 15th
This is one of the famous festivals in the country. The word “Pahiyas” means to
decorate. Fitting to its name is the true purpose of the festival. That is to find out which
house in the neighborhood is decorated the best with farm products like vegetables,
fruits, and many more.

5. Masskara Festival
Location: Bacolod, Negros Occidental
Date: October
This is also one of the grandest festivals in the country is the Masskara Festival, the
sheer volume of tourists attending this festival reaches almost 3 million annually. The
word “masskara” is derived from the Filipino word “mascara”. Which literally translates
to masks. That is the true purpose of this festival because dancers, performers, and
even onlookers are encouraged to wear smiling masks to honor Bacolod which is
dubbed as “The City of Smiles”.

6. Panagbenga Festival
Location: Baguio City
Date: During the Holy Week (March or April)
Unlike the previous festivals listed in this article, this is not a religious festival but rather
a cultural one. “Panagbenga” comes from the Kankanaey term which means “the
season of blooming”. Yup, you guessed that right. Get ready to see more flowers in a
day than you would in a single lifetime.

7. Kadayawan Festival
Location: Davao
Date: Every Third Week of August
This festival is also not a religious one, but rather a celebration of life and a thanksgiving
for the gifts of nature. It highlights the richness of Davao’s culture and the bountiful
harvests, and the serenity of living. Indeed, the Kadayawan Festival is a celebration of
Davaoenos’ gratitude to life. “Kadayawan” is a native expression from Davao usually
translating to “madayaw” which means good, valuable, and superior. Kadayawan
Festival in Tagalog means “Pasasalamat at Pagpapahalaga”.
8. Moriones Festival
Location: Marinduque
Date: During the Holy Week (March or April)
This festival is held to commemorate the life of St. Longinus. He is the Centurion who
pierced Jesus while he was hanging on the cross with a spear. Moriones was derived
from the word “Morion” which refers to the Roman soldiers’ helmet.
Although this is a solemn, religious week-long event where locals are re-enacting the
“Passion of the Christ” and the search of St. Longinus, it is still a sight to see for tourists.

9. Higantes Festival
Location: Angono, Rizal
Date: 22nd and 23rd Day of November
This festival is held in honor of Angono’s patron saint, San Clemente. This is a one-of-a-
kind celebration because originally, its purpose was to mock Spanish Hacienderos
(Owners of very large pieces of land) as an agrarian protest.

10. Pintados Festival

Location: Tacloban City, Leyte
Date: Every June 29th
Pintados Festival was first celebrated in 1987 as a tribute to the tattooed tribespeople of
Samar and Leyte called “Pintados”. This is a month-long festival celebrating Senor
Santo Nino de Leyte.
One of the notable aspects of the Pintados Festival is the dancers who are painted or
tattooed from head to toe with designs that look like armors to resemble the warriors of
the old era.
Pintados is a very religious and cultural celebration focused to showcase Tacloban’s rich
history and traditions. Dancers roam the street during the parade before performing in a
dance competition where they try to tell a story about their hometown. Indeed, it is a
sight to see as different municipalities battle out to see who has the most beautiful,
graceful, and stunning dance routines.