1. Masskara Festival
Bacolod City
The annual MassKara Festival held in Bacolod City every October is a celebration
which has earned for Bacolod the title "City of Smiles". The Festival was conceived
in 1980 by a group of City Officials, Art Association of Bacolod members and
some concerned citizens with full support from the city government and the
Department of Tourism Field Office to enliven the usual City Charter Anniversary
celebration which, at the same time consisted of the routine flag ceremony,
employees program and the afternoon civic military parade.
The word "MassKara" was coined by the late AAB president Ely Santiago from
the two words "mass" which means "many or a multitude of the people" and the
Spanish "kara" meaning "face". The mask worned by the participants during the
parade are always smiling. MassKara thus means a multitude of smiling faces.
2. Bailes de Luces of La Castellana,
Negros Occidental
Bailes de Luces of La Castellana (literally translated as Dance of Lights) is a
Festival of Hope and Thanksgiving. Celebrated every 30th of December (Street
Dancing Competition) and 5th of January (Arena Showdown) Bailes de Luces is a
spectacular festival that showcases the Filipino's creative mind couple with the
wildest of imagination. The most colorful festival in town that utilizes technology
through the use of Light Emitting Diodes that radiates colorful rays of lights
throughout the performance. A Festival that is best watched live for one to
experience the magical interplay of colorful lights wrapping every dancer's body.
A one of its kind Festivity. The One and the only in the world.
3. 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.
4. Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival
Cebu Province
It is an event that is held annually in Mandaue City, Cebu International
Convention Center every August 13 which shows Cebu's culture and different
festivals, it is a fiesta of colorful costumes and elaborate props as dancers from 42
towns and cities from all over Cebu compete which ends with a grand fireworks
display.
5. Buglasan Festival
Negros Oriental
The Philippines is a country of fiestas, Negros Oriental is a province full or year
round fiestas. We have 24 fiestas each dedicated to their respective patron saints,
and topping it off is the BUGLASAN FESTIVAL the fiesta of the entire province,
usually taking place in the 2nd week of October.
6. Bonok-Bonok Festival
Surigao City
Thus, Bonok-Bonok is a ritual dance which originated from these early settlers.
The rhythm usually starts with a slow beat and slowly gets faster, causing the
dancers to work at pace with the music. Adding to the attraction of the dance is
the colorful costumes, which includes beaded headdresses or tubaw, bracelets
and anklets of the women. The ceremonial dress of the men and women are
likewise elaborate in design, and of various colors. The dance ritual has been
brought down through the generations and still being practiced today. In respect
to thePatron Saint San Nicolas de Tolentino, the people have already adopted the
“Bonok – bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw” Festival which is a reflection of Surigao’s
rich cultural heritage.
7. Lawig Festival
Palompon Leyte
LAWIG is a Cebuano word which means “to sail on”. As a working inspiration of
the occasion, the term is a buoyant call and a delightful push-factor to
encourage Palomponganons to dare to do mighty things to surmount rippling
waves of trials along life’s nautical miles to ably anchor to the proverbial port of
their desired destination with full-scale success and indelible fulfilment.
8. Himag-ulaw Festival of Placer
Masbate
Himag-ulaw is a traditional fiesta in Placer Masbate, Philippines. It is celebrated
annually and usually during the 3rd week of February. The celebration is a
weeklong of festivities that include street dancing and parades, traditional
Filipino “prusisyon”, and a number of activities held every night such as beauty
pageants, singing contests, and etc.
9. Kalilangan Festival
Gensan
The festival, which made Gensan known in the tourism
industry, is derived from the word “Kalilang” which means
celebration in the Maguindanaoan dialect. It is a social
gathering marked by the exchange of amenities among ethnic
leaders, elders, and townsfolk.
10. Pamulinawen Festival
Laoag City
The Pamulinawen Festival is held in Laoag City, every year in
early February. Laoag City is the capital of the province of
Ilocos Norte. Pamulinawen is the name of a woman made
popular in the classic Ilocano song titled... Pamulinawen.
11. Palawod Festival
Bantayan Island
Palawod is another festival held 29 June in honour of Sts Peter & Paul. The street
dancing and ritual showdown competitions which depict the fishing traditions of
Bantayan have contributed to Palawod's being the 3-times Grand Champion of
the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival of Festivals.
12. Manggahan Festival
Guimaras
An identity festival of the Province of Guimaras celebrated every April 16 – 20 for
the sustained promotion of Mango Industry. Varied activities are being
showcased depicting the cultural and historical heritage, livelihood, myth and
legendary stories portrayed in a cultural showcase, streetdancing and SINADYA
(merrymaking). Spread over a weeklong schedule, promoting its products,
services and milestones in an agri – trade fair/exhibits, food festival, special
events, nightly shows and entertainments and Search for Mutya Ng Guimaras.
Manggahan culminates in a grand showcase of cultural festivals in a bid to show
the world that there is more to Guimaras than its sweet, fiber and pest-free
mangoes.
13. Baragatan Festival
Palawan
Baragatan Festival and grand Celebration of the Founding of
the Civil Government of Palawan. From the Cuyuno word
"bagat" which means convergence of people coming together
from various municipalities bringing their songs, dances and
music and present all these aspects of life through cultural
presentation, trade shows, exhibitions, float parade and street
dancing.
14. Kaamulan Festival
Bukidnon Province
Kaamulan Festival is an ethnic cultural festival held annually in Malaybalay
City,Bukidnon from the second half of February to March 10, the anniversary
date of the foundation of Bukidnon as a province in 1917. It is held to celebrate
the culture and tradition of the seven ethnic tribal groups—Bukidnon, Higaonon,
Talaandig, Manobo, Matigsalug, Tigwahanon and Umayamnon—that originally
inhabit the province. It is the only ethnic festival in the Philippines.
15. Cagsawa Festival
Daraga, Albal
Albayanos celebrate next month the second edition of their Cagsawa Festival to
mark the 199th anniversary of the February 1814 cataclysmic Mayon Volcano
eruption that buried underground an entire community and its imposing
Baroque Cagsawa Church, leaving above ground only its belfry. The scenic
Cagsawa Ruins, from where one gets a panoramic view of the nearly perfect
cone-shaped Mayon Volcano, now serves as a favorite destination for both
Filipino and foreign tourists. Albay province and the town of Daraga have teamed
up for the monthlong festival that will focus on the site of the ruins, just 11
kilometers away from the crater of Mayon Volcano. Now in its second edition, the
Cagsawa Festival ushers in Albay’s yearlong series of festival celebrations.
