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PAGODA SA WAWA

The fluvial pagoda festival commemorates the legendary rescue of theHoly Cross from the Bocaue River 200 years ago every first Sunday of July in Bocaue, Bulacan. The cross is paraded with beautiful trimmings and guided by colorful bancas and hundreds of people join the procession for a nine-day novena.

BACAO FESTIVAL

(corn Festival). Celebrated in Echague, Isabela every third week of March, the festival honors St. Joseph. The patron saint of workers and serves as a way to express gratitude for a fruitful harvest. Echague is considered the country’s biggest corn hub as it produced 20 percent of the Philippines’ total corn output in 2011, and march is the season of harvesting corn.

started in 2003, also aims to help the younger generation appreciate Filipino traditions like the bayanihan and spread awareness about the Yogad people where the term word bacao or “corn” came from.

OBANDO FERTILITY

RITES

attended by couples who hope to have children by performing an ancient folk dance that is said to encourage reproduction. The festival is celebrated every May 17 to 19.

FEAST OF THE BLACK NAZARENE

Every January 9, the feast honors the Black Nazarene or Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, the dark-colored wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ that came all the way from Mexico. The intense devotion to the miraculous Black Nazarene has attracted a huge following among the public. The statue is currently located at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila. During the feast, the devotees accompany the statue in a procession from Quirino Grandstand (where it is transferred a few days a prior to the event) to the Basilica; this is called translacion, which literally means “transfer.” Devotees also throw towels or handkerchieves to the people guarding the Nazarene to wipe them on the statue as they hope to be able to carry its “power” with them.

VISAYAS FESTIVALS

SINULOG

held every 3rd Sunday of January in Cebu City. 

- honors former patron saint of Cebu province, Santo Nino. Sinulog comes from Cebuano adverb sulog means “like water current movement.” 

- meaning of term describes the forward-backward movement of the Sinulog dance.

ATI-ATIHAN

celebrated every 3rd week of January in honor of Santo Nino at Kalibo, Panay. 

- participants paint their faces, wear indigineous costumes, and dance to drum rhythm beats like carnival drumming in Brazil.

DINAGYANG

- the Ilonggo for merry making. 

- for the holychild and is celebrated every 4th Sunday of January in Iloilo. 

- features colorful parades and participants offering prayers, dances, and chants of “Viva Senor Santo Nino!” 

- warriors are dressed in fashionable and colorful Aeta costumes and dance artistically and rhythmically with complicated formations along with loud thrashing and sound of drums.

MASSKARA

the Festival of Smiles from Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. 

- it is not religious or tribal in nature. 

- term masskara comes from two words: mass meaning “crowd” and the Spanish cara, which means “face.” 

Ely Santiago, a devoted painter, cartoonist, and cultural artist, coined the term masskara, which means many faces. Every October, locals and foreigners look forward to the different activities prepared the festival organizers. Colorfully masked dancers gyrate to rhythm of Latin beats. The festival instills the culture of escapism and obscurantism, where they have to accept and forget their sufferings caused by the exploration and oppression of the landlords.

PINTADOS KASADYAHAN

displays the rich cultural heritage and the native music and dances of the people of Leyte and Samar. A merry-making event that lasts for a whole month, the affair includes the Leyte Kasadyaan Festival Ritual Dance Presentation, and the “Pagrayhak” Grand Parade. This feast held every June 29TH the fest day of Senor Santo Nino 

The Leytenos celebrate a religious festival in a unique and colorful way. Since the Visayans are experienced in the art of tattooing, men and women decorates their bodies with tattoos

KAAMULAN

Kaamulan is from the Binukid word amul which means “to gather”. The festivals is a gathering of Bukidnontribes for a purpose. It can mean a datuship ritual, awedding ceremony, a thanks giving festival during haevest time, a peace pact,or all of theseput together. It showcases the unique indigeneous culture of the people fromMalaybalay City, Bukidnon from the second half of February to March 10.

KADAYAWAN

yearly celebration in Davao City during the third week of August. It is a festivity of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, thebounces of harvest, and serenity of living. It was believed that Davao’s ethnic tribes living inthe foot of Mount Apo would meet during a bountiful harvest. This ritual serves as their thanksgiving to the gods particularly to the Manama (the supreme Being). The festival honors Davao’s artistic, cultural, and historical heritage, its past personified by the ancestral Lumad people, its people as they celebrate on the streets. Today, Kadayawan has transformed into a festival of festivals, with a number of spin-off festivals inthe region.

MINDANAO FESTIVALS

TUNA

The yellow fin tuna fish abound in the waters that surround General Santos City, effectively making the city one of the leading producers of tuna around the world. The festival is celebrated every 5 th day of September. The festival is an excellent location to socialize with the locals and learn more about their culture. A celebration of everything tuna, this is the place to go when you want to taste tuna dishes.

BONOK-BONOK MARADJAO-KARAJAW

is a ritual dance of ethnic Mamanwas, is performed during thanksgiving, wedding ceremonies, and worship. The fiesta from Surigao City, Surigao del Norte held every September 9. Bono-bonok literally means “rain” while maradjaw karadjaw means “very good” the festival’s name means “Rain shower, all the very best.” The rain is a symbol of blessing, good tidings, good harvest, and happiness among Surogainons. The festival is usually highlighted with high-spirited dancing and chanting in unison of “Viva Senor San Nicolas! Viva Maradjaw Karadjaw.

HERMOSA 

Every October, the scenic city of Zamboanga known as the “City of Flowers”, celebrates its grand annual Zamboanga Hermosa Festival, or the popularly known as Fiesta Pilar with 12 days and nights of events and celebrations. The two-day celebration is mainly in honor of the miraculous image of Our Lady of the Pilar Nuestra Senoradel Pilar de Zaragosa. The people of Zamboanga passionately believe that the lady has served as their unifying cultural and historical symbol.

LANZONES

held every 3RD  week of October and it is a four-day grand celebration that highlights lanzones, the most important source of livelihood in Camiguin. The Lanzones Festival in Mambadjao, Camiguin is celebrated with a weekend street dancing competitions and parties, cultural shows, a parade, a beauty pageant (coronationof Mutya sa Buahanan), and a trade fair that features local handicraft and products. Mindanaoa cultural tourism destination and for the bountiful harvest of all their agricultural products.