Top 10 Festivals In the Philippines

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.