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  song hanging 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.
Silmugi Festival 2013

Silmugi Festival falls on 20th January in honor of its patron saint where in

Silmugi is an old name of the town of Borbon. One of  their highlights is a street
dancing that  involved a folk prayer for  bounitful harvest.

Accordng to the history Silmugi River located in between the barangays of

Poblacion and Cadaruhan which the river played a big part during Borbon's
formulation as a town. When the river was so big and wide the boat can make a
travel. Theres also a rainwater from the mountain barangays cascaded and flowed
into the ocean. It  became  the  main gateway of many residents who lived in the
mountains and hillside of Borbon when they visited the coastal barangays to do
their barter and trade business.
Bangus Festival is an annual festivity in Dagupan City, Pangasinan that kicks off
every month of April. It celebrates the province's Bonuan bangus, which is
renowned for its unique taste.

The Peñafrancia Festival is an annual Bicol Festival celebrated in Naga City,

Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is a celebration of the Bicolanos’ devotion to Our
Lady of Peñafrancia (Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia), attended by thousands of
devotees from all over the country and overseas.
Higantes Festival

Higantes Festival, also known as the Feast of San Clemente, is celebrated every
November 23 in the town of Angono, Rizal. This is a major festival in honor
of San Clemente, the patron saint of fishermen. His image is carried by male
devotees during a procession accompanied by "pahadores" (devotees dressed in
colorful local costumes or fishermen's clothes, wearing wooden shoes and carrying
boat paddles, fish nets, traps, etc.) and "higantes" (paper-mâché giants measuring
10-12 feet in height and 4-5 feet in diameter). This street event ends in a
procession to Laguna de Bay until the image is brought back to its sanctuary.
LONGGANISA FESTIVAL. Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. January 22. Highlight is the
street dancing competition sporting the delicacy. Vigan tried to compete for the
“Longest Longaniza” with the hope of entering the Guinness Book of Records as
the longest longaniza of the world.
Kinabayo Festival which is celebrated every July 25 in Dapitan City Zamboanga
del Norte Philippines celebrate a mysterious and colorful pageant re-enacting the
Spanish-Moorish wars, mainly the Battle of Covadonga where the Spanish forces
under General Pelagio took their last stand against Saracan. They were able to
overturn the tidethrough the miraculous spirit of St. James. The addition of local
color and modernism has made this annual celebration a popular attraction which
brings thousands of tourists to the Dapitan City.
Pattaraday Festival is an annual celebration of the founding anniversary of the
City of Santiago. Pattaraday is an Ybanag word which means unity, which features
the unity of the various ethno-linguistic groups that makes Santiago City. The
celebration is lined up with various activities like the Comedia, beauty pageant,
grand batalla presentations, and street dancing and exhibition participated by
performers from other provinces. The climax of the festivity is the grand character
parade. The Parade features floats with a ‘character’ that highlights Santiago City
as a character city for promoting the moral values of the people. Visit the website
for a complete list of scheduled activities.
Sangyaw Festival is a religious and socio-cultural event in the Philippines. It was
revived in 2008 by the city government of Tacloban, Philippines. Sangyaw means
"to herald news" in Waray language. Various festival-participants from different
parts of the country participate in this tribal procession. It was held a day before
the city fiesta. The festival was first held in 1974 but was cancelled in 1987.
Bambanti Festival is the official festival of the Province of Isabela.  Held
annually in the month of January, the award-winning festival has become a key
factor in helping to build a cultural identity for the residences of Isabela.   

People flock from all corners of Isabela to celebrate their rich agricultural

heritage in song-and-dance, and a little friendly competition.     

The festival derives its name from the Ilocano word for "scarecrow", and the
Bambanti have become the iconic symbol for the farming communities of Isabela.
Its meaning is emblematic of the historic ties farmers have with scarecrows and
their crops, and represent the diligence and resoluteness of the people of Isabel.   
Festivities start on the 23rd of January, culminating in a show-
stopping extravaganza on the 28th. 

MAMMANGUI FESTIVAL

If you happen to pass by Ilagan City, Isabela every May 30th, you shouldn’t miss
out on the Mammangui Festival.  “Mammangui” is an Ibanag word which stands
for corn and as the name implies, this festival celebrates the corn harvest of the
farmers of Isabela’s capital and largest city by land area.  This is celebrated
together with the Binallay Festival, which honors the city’s rice cake industry as it
is also a rice-producing locale.  Aside from the usual parades and harvest offerings
by the farmers, food fests abound where corn-based dishes are being served to
tourists, thus making this festival which coincides with the conclusion of summer a
must-see one this side of town.

The Dinamulag Festival also known as the Zambales Mango Festival is an

annual festival held in the province of Zambales in the Philippines to celebrate or
encourage bountiful harvest of the province's mangoes. The festival was first held
in 1999.
Ibon-Ebon Festival, also called “Birds and Eggs Festival,” is a celebration held
during the first and second days of February in Candaba, Pampanga. It was first
celebrated on February 1 and 2 in 1998 and has been running successfully up to
now. This festival is also a celebration for another year of bountiful harvest. The
main features of the festival are the migratory birds. These wandering birds not just
promotes Candaba but also advocates tourism in the Philippines.

This festival is one of the biggest and most awaited events in Pampanga. Throngs
of people go here because of the two-day multi-activity festival showcasing street
dances, kite flying competition, food and cooking contest, a parade and a lot of
other activities and presentations. Common, endemic, and rare birds are chippering
and chattering merrily along with the spectators. It's as if they know that they are
the stars of this lively event.
T’nalak Festival, also known as Tinalak Festival, is a festival held to celebrate the
anniversary of South Cotabato, and is observed every July.

The festival’s unique name is attributed to a popular piece of colorful cloth woven
by the local T’boli women (T’boli is a tribe in the region). The cloth is known as a
t’nalak, and is made of abaca clothing. There are a number of reasons why this was
the choice clothing among so many options.