Philippines has a wide range selection of festivals. Below
are my own list of Top 10 Philippine Festivals all over the country.
1. Sinulog
Festival - Cebu City
For me the Sinulog Festival in Cebu City is the most
celebrated of all Philippine festivals. It is because of combination of
religious and cultural activities held every month of January in Cebu. It is a
religious activity since it is the fiesta of Sr. Sto. Nino de Cebu and thousands
of devotees all over the Philippines will come to Cebu to join the fluvial
procession, solemn procession and most specially to attend the highly
celebrated mass at the Basilica church in honor of Sr. Sto. Nino. It is also a
cultural activity since it showcase the Sinulog Grand Parade participated by
different contingents not only in Cenu but also out of town contingents all
over the Philippines.
2. Dinagyang
Festival - Iloilo City
This festival is the Queen Festival of the Philippines.
It is considered to be the Best Festival Event in the Philippines by the
Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines. Most awaited tribe in every
Aliwan Fiesta.
It is the first philippine festival to be declared by the
international press as a WORLD CLASS FESTIVAL.
3. Masskara
Festival - Bacolod City
Masskara festival is a festival of resiliency... It is a
symbol of Filipino's attitude of being happy despite of the problems being
encountered. It's unique among the festival in the philippines, it is Asia's
most spectacular mardi grass, grandest and the most colorful festival in the
philippines and also abroad the grand champion in Showtime of variety show won
3 million pesos, mass" people and kara' faces go city of smile and sugar
capital of the philippines
4. Ati-Atihan
Festival - Kalibo, Aklan
It is said to be "Super fun!" where everybody
gets to join in! Also said to be miraculous for sto. Nino is said to posses
healing powers. At this time of the year every street is also turned into a
place where you can have fun! Where there is much dancing and boozes for the
party lovers!
You may want to live there to join the celbration. You
will experience "Street dancing" you'll have a sure way to have a
worthy street dancing festival in the whole Philippines!
5. Kadayawan
Festival - Davao City
It is said to be the people's festival. People celebrate
to give thanks for the year that was and the year which will be. A celebration
of the city's icons - the Philippine Eagle, Mt Apo, Durian, and Waling Waling.
And most of all, it's a celebration of all festivities in Davao making it the
King of Festivals in Davao.
You will see lots of harvested fruits in this festival,
being offered as a tribute for bounty harvest. Each and every fruit of them are
unique. For example... The Durian - "King of the Fruits" and
Mangosteen - "Queen of the Fruits". The fruits are also cheapest
here. The floats in this festival are very colorful thanks to the flowers grown
in the cities. And this is the only festival in the island of Mindanao that's
known internationally.
6. Pasigarbo
sa Sugbo Festival - Cebu Province
Cebuanos considered it as "Cebu's Festival of
Festivals". It is the biggest Festival competition in the province for at
least 44 competing Municipalities showcasing their respective festivity.
Every AUGUST more than 40 COMPETING CEBUANO FESTIVALS
from different CITIES and MUNICIPALITIES in CEBU commence in one stage to
create a one great spectacle showcasing the different products and culture of
each town through dance thus called PASIGARBO SA SUGBO which literally means
PRIDE OF CEBU in English.
7. Panagbenga
Festival - Baguio City
Is a month-long annual flower festival occurring in Baguio,
the summer capital of the Philippines The term is of Malayo-Polynesian origin,
meaning "season of blooming". The festival, held during the month of
February, was created as a tribute to the city's flowers and as a way to rise
up from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake. The festival includes
floats that are decorated with flowers not unlike those used in Pasadena's Rose
Parade. The festival also includes street dancing, presented by dancers clad in
flower-inspired costumes, that is inspired by the Bendian, an Ibaloi dance of
celebration that came from the Cordillera region.
Aside from economic boosts from tourism, the festival
also helped the younger generation of indigenous people to rediscover their
culture's old traditions. The indigenous people was first wary with
government-led tourism because of the threat that they will interfere or change
their communities' rituals.
8. Bailes
de Luces of La Castellana - Negros Occidental
La Castellana is a first class municipality in the province
of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a
population of 71,013 people.
La Castellana is a rural town situated at the base of Kanlaon
Volcano, known for its natural springs, water falls and scenic spots. It is
named after the famous "Paseo de la Castellana" in Madrid, Spain. It
is an agricultural town engaged in sugarcane, rice and banana farming. It is
home of many festivals namely Bailes de Luces, Banana Festival and Senior San
Vicente Ferrer Feast Day where devotees far and near attend to for healing.
9. Pintados
Festival - Leyte
The Pintados Festival is a cultural-religious celebration
in Tacloban based on the body-painting traditions of the ancient tattooed
"pintados" warriors In 1986, the Pintados Foundation, Inc. was formed
by the people of Tacloban to organize this festival in honor of Sr. Santo Niño Years
later, it was merged with the Kasadyaan Festival which is always held on JUNE
29
10. Buyogan
Festival - Abuyog, Leyte
The Philippines celebrates its Buyogan festival in the
coastal town of Abuyog on the island of Leyte every year. The locally known
“buyog” (or bees) are the centrepiece of this feast and where the town’s name
originated from.
The highlight of the festival is the Buyogan parade of
brightly coloured bee dancers performing a choreographed bee dance with
children buzzing around in a bee like manner. Other participants join in the
parade with tribal henna designs on their faces and bodies representing the
ethnic history of the town.
The festival coincides with the town saint’s feasts day –
St. Francis Xavier on August 29th and is usually at a weekend around that date.