The document provides information on festivals, legends, and traditions in Northern Luzon, Philippines. It discusses several festivals celebrated in different towns and cities in the region, including the Panagbenga Festival in Baguio, Pistay Dayat in Pangasinan, Bangus Festival in Dagupan City, and Agoo Dinengdeng Festival in La Union. It also summarizes two Ilocano legends - the story of the first cow and carabao, and the epic Biag ni Lam-ang. Finally, it outlines some Ilocano folk beliefs and traditions related to pregnancy/childbirth, infancy, adolescence, courtship, and marriage.

1. FESTIVALS IN NORTHERN LUZON
Panagbenga Festival
Panagbenga Festival (English: Flower Festival) is a month-long
annual flower festival occurring in Baguio, the summer capital
of the Philippines.[1] The term is of Malayo-Polynesian origin,
meaning "season of blooming".[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4]
Pistay Dayat
Pista’y Dayat is definitely Pangasinan’s Mother of all Festivals.
It is unquestionably the province’s grandest and biggest
festival celebrated every 1st of May as a tribute to the sea and
its bounties.
Through the years, it continued to become the major summer
attraction, luring thousands of visitors from different parts of
the country and the world with fun-filled activities
incorporated in a weeklong spectacle of fun and excitement.
Bangus Festival
Celebrated on April just before the onset of the Pista’y Dayat,
Dagupan City has done justice to its most popular product,
which is globally renowned, in a festive mood of glorifying the
best tasting milkfish in the country and in the world.
Galicayo Festival
Usually celebrated in December,in honor of the Blessed Virgin
Mary of Manaoag, the festival gathers multitude of faithful
exalting the miraculous character in a festive mood of

2. merriment and fun. It is a unique celebration of faith,
culture and the arts.
Mango Bamboo Fesitval
This festival, which is celebrated annually every month of
April, aims to improve the marketing of San Carlos City’s
two major products —mango and bamboo—highlighted
with various activities depicting arts and culture.
AGOO DINENGDENG FESTIVAL
A festival of harvest and thanksgiving for the bounty and
blessings that the Almighty Creator has bestowed to the
town and the Agoeños. It is celebrated annually every first
week of May.
This occasion pays tribute to Dinengdeng, a favorite
vegetable dish of Ilocanos equally famous as the pakbet or
“pinakbet”. It aims to promote this simple yet healthy dish
made up of backyard vegetables like the squash,
eggplant, ampalaya, saluyot and okra, mixed with
bagoong (fish sauce) and simmered with a dried or broiled
fish.
It features 101 ways to cook Dinengdeng from the variant of freshly picked vegetable prepared
on-the-spot by the town’s socio, academic, religious and civic organizations. The dishes are
open for free tasting to the public.
Aside from that, an array of events is prepared to add colors to the festivity.
Brainchild of former Mayor (now Representative of the 2nd District of La Union) Dr. Eufranio C.
Eriguel, the festivity is now on its 8th year.
PAMULINAWEN FESTIVAL (February) (Laoag City)
Pamulinawen is the official celebration of the yearly
fiesta of Laoag City. This is considered as the main
tourist attraction in the City.
The highlights of the celebration include
Pamulinawen Street Pageantry, “Dulang” Food
Festival, Calesa Festival,Comedia Ilocana,Sarsuela,
Balikbayan Nights, Pamulinawen Grand
Parade,Pamulinawen Agro-Industrial Trade Fair, Miss
Laoag City Pamulinawen Beauty Pageant, Search
for Miss ABC (Association of Barangay Councils) and Rural Improvement Club (RIC) Day.

3. ANI FESTIVAL (March) (Dingras, Ilocos Norte)
Ani Festival is celebrated to pay tribute to Dingras as
the rice granary of the province of Ilocos Norte.
DINAKLISAN FESTIVAL (April 29-May 1) (Currimao,Ilocos Norte) and TAMBORA (December
24)(Currimao,Ilocos Norte)
Dinaklisan showcases the traditional livelihood of
the fishermen. “Panagdaklis” is an ethnic way of
catching fish used by the fishermen of Currimao
before and even today. This festival aims to
dignify this fishing income-generating occupation
of the people.
Tambora is celebrated on the evening of
December 24 highlighted by the gathering of
local residents at the Municipal Auditorium with
their family in their best attire. There is a grand ball
which continues until midnight.
KANGAYEDAN FESTIVAL and KURARAPNIT FESTIVAL
(April) (Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte)
Kangayedan Festival is celebrated to showcase the
natural resources and products of Pagudpud.
Kurarapnit Festival on the other hand is an animistic
festival featuring the exotic bat (Hiposideros sp) found
in town in Pagudpud. The latter also aims to promote
the preservation of unexplored natural wealth of
Pagudpud (i.e. caves).

4. LEGENDS IN NORTHERN LUZON
The Cow and the Carabao
( Northern Luzon )
It is said that a long time ago, the first cow and the first
carabao wore skins that fit them exactly. They could both walk
on only their two hind feet then. They both served a farmer who
demanded much of them as beasts of burden. But the cow
and the carabao were thinking that he made them work too
much.
"No one should work this much under the heat of the sun!" the
cow remarked. "We deserve a vacation!"
"What say you we play hooky one noon," the carabao
proposed, "while the farmer is resting in the shade, as he always does when the sun is at its most
furious?"
So it was that one noon, while the farmer who owned the first cow and the first carabao was fast
asleep, the two friends shrugged off the plow and raced to the nearby river. They took off their
skins, hung them on the low branch of a tree at the riverbank, and dived underwater. But alas,
as they were having their fun, the farmer woke up, saw that his two beasts were missing from the
fields where they belonged, took up his whip and went out searching for them. By following their
footprints he found them almost immediately, bathing in the nearby river.
The farmer frightened the two beasts with his whip and made them scramble up to the bank. In
their haste to appear decent before their master, the cow and the carabao switched skins, but
then they were not able to get the false skins off again. As the carabao was larger than the cow,
his skin sagged at the cow’s belly, and the cow’s skin clung tight to his flesh. And then it was
impossible to retain their pride. They came before their master on all fours, begging to be forgiven.
The farmer said they were forgiven, but they could no longer walk on only two legs, and they
could never take off the false skins they wore. The cow and the carabao accepted their fate
timidly, and handed down to their offspring their symbols of shame.
BUOD (SUMMARY) OF BIAG NI LAM-ANG
Don Juan and his wife Namongan lived in Nalbuan, now part of La Union
in the northern part of the Philippines. They had a son named Lam-ang.
Before Lam-ang was born, Don Juan went to the mountains in order to
punish a group of their Igorot enemies. While he was away, his son Lam-
ang was born. It took four people to help Namongan give birth. As soon
as the baby boy popped out, he spoke and asked that he be given the
name Lam-ang. He also chose his godparents and asked where his father
was.
After nine months of waiting for his father to return, Lam-ang decided he
would go look for him. Namongan thought Lam-ang was up to the
challenge but she was sad to let him go. During his exhausting journey, he

5. decided to rest for awhile. He fell asleep and had a dream about his father's head being stuck
on a pole by the Igorot. Lam-ang was furious when he learned what had happened to his
father. He rushed to their village and killed them all, except for one whom he let go so that he
could tell other people about Lam-ang's greatness.
Upon returning to Nalbuan in triumph, he was bathed by women in the Amburayan river. All the
fish died because of the dirt and odor from Lam-ang's body.
There was a young woman named Ines Kannoyan whom Lam-ang wanted to woo. She lived in
Calanutian and he brought along his white rooster and gray dog to visit her. On the way, Lam-
ang met his enemy Sumarang, another suitor of Ines whom he fought and readily defeated.
Lam-ang found the house of Ines surrounded by many suitors all of whom were trying to catch
her attention. He had his rooster crow, which caused a nearby house to fall. This made Ines look
out. He had his dog bark and in an instant the fallen house rose up again. The girl's parents
witnessed this and called for him. The rooster expressed the love of Lam-ang. The parents
agreed to a marriage with their daughter if Lam-ang would give them a dowry valued at
double their wealth. Lam-ang had no problem fulfilling this condition and he and Ines were
married.
It was a tradition to have a newly married man swim in the river for the rarang fish. Unfortunately,
Lam-ang dove straight into the mouth of the water monster Berkakan. Ines had Marcos get his
bones, which she covered with a piece of cloth. His rooster crowed and his dog barked and
slowly the bones started to move. Back alive, Lam-ang and his wife lived happily ever after with
his white rooster and gray dog.
Hudhud Ni Aliguyon
( Ifugao )
In the mountainous regions of Northern Luzon, a
hudhud is a long tale sung during special occasions.
This particular long tale is sung during harvest. A favorite
topic of the hudhud is a folk hero named Aliguyon, a
brave warrior.
Once upon a time, in a village called Hannanga, a boy
was born to the couple named Amtalao and Dumulao.
He was called Aliguyon. He was an intelligent, eager young man who wanted to learn many
things, and indeed, he learned many useful things, from the stories and teachings of his father.
He learned how to fight well and chant a few magic spells. Even as a child, he was a leader, for
the other children of his village looked up to him with awe.
Upon leaving childhood, Aliguyon betook himself to gather forces to fight against his father’s
enemy, who was Pangaiwan of the village of Daligdigan. But his challenge was not answered
personally by Pangaiwan. Instead, he faced Pangaiwan’s fierce son, Pumbakhayon.
Pumbakhayon was just as skilled in the arts of war and magic as Aliguyon. The two of them
battled each other for three years, and neither of them showed signs of defeat.

6. Their battle was a tedious one, and it has been said that they both used only one spear!
Aliguyon had thrown a spear to his opponent at the start of their match, but the fair
Pumbakhayon had caught it deftly with one hand. And then Pumbakhayon threw the spear
back to Aliguyon, who picked it just as neatly from the air.
At length Aliguyon and Pumbakhayon came to respect each other, and then eventually they
came to admire each other’s talents. Their fighting stopped suddenly. Between the two of them
they drafted a peace treaty between Hannanga and Daligdigan, which their peoples readily
agreed to. It was fine to behold two majestic warriors finally side by side.
Aliguyon and Pumbakhayon became good friends, as peace between their villages flourished.
When the time came for Aliguyon to choose a mate, he chose Pumbakhayon’s youngest sister,
Bugan, who was little more than a baby. He took Bugan into his household and cared for her
until she grew to be most beautiful. Pumbakhayon, in his turn, took for his wife Aliguyon’s
younger sister, Aginaya. The two couples became wealthy and respected in all of Ifugao.
TRADITIONS IN NORTHERN LUZON
ILOCANO FOLK BELIEFS
The Ilocano has an elaborate network of beliefs and practices through which he deals
with the world around him. These beliefs and practices developed and nurtured by his
ancestors, guide him in going through the different stages of life. It is possible, however,
that many of these beliefs and practice are gaining less importance among Ilocanos of
today. Click on any of these topics: Pregnancy
and Childbirth, Infancy, Adolescence,
Courtship, Marriage, Death and Burial.
Pregnancy and Childbirth
A woman's intense craving for sour fruits, such
as tamarind, green mango or orange is usually
interpreted as a sign of pregnancy. The fruits
that she eats provide clues to the child's
appearance.
The pregnant woman observes a number of practices believed to insure against
a painful and difficult delivery.
She sits on a mat and never on the bare floor, to avoid having gas pains. She
always has grains of salt with her whenever she leaves the house to ward off evil
spirits who may take away her unborn child. She does not go outside the house
at night with her hair down lest she have a snake delivered along with her
baby. She is forbidden to sit on the stairway as this is a position associated with
difficult delivery. When cooking, she must thrust the bigger pieces of firewood

7. into the fire before the smaller pieces, a practice said to ensure a normal
delivery.
On the sixth month of pregnancy, the mother's dreams, her physical and
emotional state, the food she eats, and the fetal position are taken as
indications of the child's sex.
Infancy
If the kajyanak (newborn) has physical defects,
he is given a hair washing rite presided over by a
folk healer. If the defect is not healed, the family
accepts the baby's condition and views it as a
sign of good luck.
The child's sleeping position is the subject of his
parents' special attention because of certain
meanings associated with each particular
position. It is said that if the baby sleeps float on
his belly on the floor or bed, bad luck or hardship will befall
the family. If the baby gnashes his teeth, he is said to have parasites in his body.
When the baby begins to turn around and roll, the parents are advised not to
help him, for it is believed that if they do, the baby will be too dependent on
them when he grows up. It is usually at the end of the fourteenth month when
the baby is considered strong enough and allowed to walk by himself.
Adolescence
Pubescence for the girl comes at age eleven when most girls begin to
menstruate. Some of the taboos which girls observe during menstruation
include: eating sour fruit which may cause blood clotting and menstrual cramps;
taking a bath or carrying heavy objects which may cause matipdan (sudden
stop of menstrual flow) which may lead to insanity or death. Girl at this stage are
also asked to sit on the 3rd step of the stairs so that she will have only three days
of menstruation.
Boys aged thirteen to twenty-one voluntarily submit themselves to kugit
(circumcision) by the local specialist. The rite usually takes place near a river, a
creek or a stream. The materials used are a sharp knife or blade, a wooden
mold made from a stripped guava branch, guava brew and coconut palm
scrapings. Like the pubescent girl, the circumcised boy discards his childish
games and pranks for more adult pursuits.

8. Courtship
Courtship begins with a series of casual
conversations and visits to the girl's home where
the boy gets to know the girl and her family. Long
courtships are expected to give both parties a
chance to be sure about their own feelings for
each other. The boy sends love letters to the girl
regularly as constant reminders and declarations
of a willingness to continue the amorous pursuit.
The harana (serenade) is also one way of
expressing love. The boy asks a group of friends to
join him, on a moonlit night, in waking up his
beloved maiden with love songs.
The relationship, once formalized, is carried out
with utmost discretion. The girl is expected to
remain modest and chaste. Tradition strongly requires that the woman maintain
her virginity until marriage. Otherwise, she will have to face such grave
consequences as being ostracized by the community or disowned by her
family. Sex education comes in the form of stories read and told by older folk.
Marriage
Panagasawa or marriage to the Ilocano is
but a reaffirmation of the man and woman's
gasat (fate). It is considered a sacred
partnership which lasts until the death of
either partner.
Once the couple decide to marry, the boy
informs the girl's parents about their plans.
This announcement is known as the
panagpudno. Approval is sought from the
boy's parents since they usually spend for the wedding and provide for the
dowry. When both families agree, the date of the wedding is set either by
consulting the planetano (an almanac which lists all good or bad days for all
activities), or by communicating through the billeta, a letter sent from the boy
to the girl by a messenger. The response is also sent through the same
messenger.

9. Death and Burial
To the Ilocanos, gasat (fate) detemines their
life on earth. Death to them means the
fulfillment of destiny, the inevitable. It is
because of this Ilocano view of death that
they are better able to bear the passing
away of their loved ones with courage and
fortitude.
The Ilocanos have traditionally believed that most of man's illnesses are caused
by spirits. Even accidents have often been attributed to the supernatural, to
spirits that could either be the aswang (witch) or the mannamay (sorcerer).
Death is often preceded by omens such as a black butterfly which enters a
house at night or during an eclipse. When a person is dying, an old woman is
usually called in to pray and attend to him. Sometimes, a coconut shell is
placed under the dying man's bed so that everyone in the room may hear the
angel and the devil fighting for possession of the man's soul. When a man dies,
an atong (burning piece of wood) is placed in front of the gate of his house. This
announces a death in the family to spirits and the living alike. The fire is left
burning for the duration of the wake.