Handout
THEATER ARTS FIRST QUARTER
Pahiyas
-May 15, the townsfolk of
Lucban, Quezon, don their
houses with fruits,
vegetables and colorful
kiping (a leaf-shaped wafer
made of rice and dyed with
food coloring) in
celebration of the Pahiyas
Festival.
-The word ‘pahiyas’ was
derived from the word
‘payas’, which means
decoration or to decorate.
The reason behind such
practice dates back to
the 15th century, when
farmers used to offer their
harvests at the foot of
Mount Banahaw.
-Over time, they brought
their farm produce at the
church in honor of the
town’s patron saint – St.
Isidore the Laborer, who is
the patron saint of farmers,
laborers and peasants.
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Fertility Dance
-The Fertility Dance of
Obando has been part of
tradition even before the
Spanish conquest of the
Philippines. The month of
May has always been the
season for the Fertility
Dance. The feast lasts for
three days: May 17th for St.
Paschal, May 18th for St.
Claire and May 19th for the
Our Lady of Salambao. The
dancing lasts for three
days, as well.
-Nowadays, the Fertility
Dance is celebrated in
Obando in honor of Santa
Clara, San Pascual de
Baylon, and Nuestra
Señ ora de Salambao. The
prayers are offered to
these three saints for the
childless, for religious
virtue, and a bountiful
catch since fishing is the
main industry of Obando,
Bulacan.
Moriones
-The Moriones is a lenten
rites held annually on Holy
Week on the island of
Marinduque, Philippines.
The "Moriones" are men
and women in costumes
and masks replicating the
garb of biblical Roman
soldiers as interpreted by
local folks.
-This is a folk-religious
festival that re-enacts the
story of Saint Longinus, a
Roman centurion who was
blind in one eye. The
festival is characterized by
colorful Roman costumes,
painted masks and
helmets, and brightly
colored tunics. The towns
of Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz,
Buenavista and Mogpog in
the island of Marinduque
become one gigantic stage.
-The participants use
morion masks to depict the
Roman soldiers and Syrian
mercenaries within the
story of the Passion of the
Christ.
Ati-Atihan
-The Ati-Atihan Festival is
a feast held annually in
January in honor of the
Santo Niñ o (Infant Jesus),
Held on the third Sunday,
in the town of Kalibo
Philippines in the island of
Panay originally came from
Batan, Aklan, then adopted
later by some neighboring
towns.
-The name Ati-Atihan
means "to be like Atis" or
"to make believe Atis", the
local name for the Aeta
aborigines who first settled
in Panay Island and other
parts of the archipelago.
-The festival consists of
tribal dance, music,
accompanied by
indigenous costumes and
weapons, and parade along
the street. Christians and
non-Christians observe this
day with religious
processions. It has inspired
many other Philippine
Festivals including the
Sinulog Festival of Cebu
and Dinagyang of Iloilo
City.
Sinulog
-The Sinulog-Santo Niñ o
Festival is an annual
cultural and religious
festival held on the third
Sunday of January in Cebu
City, and is the centre of
the Santo Niñ o Catholic
celebrations in the
Philippines.
-The word Sinulog comes
from the Cebuano
adverb sulog which roughly
means "like water current
movement;" it describes
the forward-backward
movement of the Sinulog
dance. The dance consists
of two steps forward and
one stepbackward, done to
the sound of drums. The
dance is categorized into
Sinulog-base, Free-
Interpretation, and street
dancing.  province of Iloilo.
-Sinulog is the ritual
prayer-dance honoring
Señ or Santo Niñ o or the
Child Jesus. An image of the
Child Jesus is said to be the
baptismal gift the
Portuguese conquistador
Ferdinand Magellan gave
Hara Amihan (Humanay) of
Zebu (now Cebu) in April
1521.
Dinagyang
-The Dinagyang Festival is
divided into three major
events held annually every
fourth weekend of January:
Ati Tribe Competition (held
on a Sunday), Kasadyahan
Cultural Competition (held
on a Saturday prior to the
main event the next day,
the Ati Tribe competition)
and the Miss Iloilo
Dinagyang (which is held
on the week of the main
Dinagyang Festival
highlights).
-As an added attraction to
the Ati Tribe competition,
the Kasadyahan Cultural
competition was added in
the festival in the 1980s to
showcase the talents of the
students as well as the rich
cultural heritage of the
-The main part of the
festival which is the Ati
Tribe competition consists
of a number of "warrior"
dancers (who hold a shield
in one hand and a spear in
another) in a tribe (locally
called "tribu") dancing in a
choreographed formation
and patterns as well as
chanting to the sound of
loud drum beats and
improvised percussion
instruments innovated by
the respective tribes. 
Santacruzan
-Flores de Mayo (Spanish
for "flowers of May") is a
festival held in the
Philippines in the month of
May. It is one of the May
devotions to the Blessed
Virgin Mary and lasts for
the entire month.
-The Santacruzan (from the
Spanish santa cruz, "holy
cross") is the ritual pageant
held on the last day of the
Flores de Mayo. It honors
the finding of the True
Cross by Helena of
Constantinople (known as
Reyna Elena) and
Constantine the Great.
-Each figure in this group
alludes to a title of the
Virgin Mary (usually found
in the Litany of Loreto) or
to a figure associated with
her. Each letter of the
angelic salutation "AVE
MARÍA" is borne by an
"angel", or a girl wearing a
white dress and wings.