The Philippines, one of many premier travel destinations inside the Asia-Pacific region, are at the forefront of countries banking on colorful festivals in promoting its rich culture and heritage. Almost everyday there’s an event celebrating a momentous occasion in the country say for example a town fiesta or a feast of a local patron saint or even a patroness. These fascinating festivals, according to experts, prove that Filipinos are fun-loving people.
Festivals, both cultural and religious as the name indicated, are celebrated all year round across the three main island groups – Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Every region, province, city, municipality, and barangay has its own strategy for merrymaking. That’s why most Philippine travel guides claim that there are numerous solutions to enjoy and explore the beauty of this archipelago of 7,107 islands.
Festivals are thought a primary engine for driving the tourism industry besides the country’s unspoiled beaches and also other man-made and natural attractions. These colorful events are magnets to local and foreign travelers who will be often awed in addition people celebrate festivals with good energy and much enthusiasm.
Here is really a list of a few of the grandest and exquisite festivals inside the country.
Sinulog Festival
Sinulog Festival will be the pride of Cebu City. Celebrated about the third Sunday of January, this colorful event is a method of the province’s thanksgiving to the child Jesus. The Sinulog Festival, which in turn lasts for nine days, features a street parade wherein participants dressed in bright costumes dance on the rhythm of drums, trumpets, and native gongs.
Panagbenga Festival
Every February Baguio City, the “Summer Capital in the Philippines,” stages a month-long flower festival called Panagbenga. One of the highly anticipated events during the festival is a parade of floats decorated with colorful flowers. It is patterned as soon as the world-renowned Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.
Moriones Festival
Moriones Festival is one of the most colorful religious events in the Philippines. Held through the Holy Week in Marinduque, the festival is highlighted by a parade took part in by people wearing colorful masks and garbs replicating that with the biblical Roman soldiers. A similar celebrated is kept in Valencia, Spain, in April.
Pahiyas Festival
The spotlight shifts to Lucban, Quezon, every 15th day of May, once this second-class municipality hosts the Pahiyas Festival. On this day, a street of houses is adorned with various agricultural produce and colorful rice ornaments called kiping. Pahiyas Festival is located in honor of St. Isodore, the patron saint of farmers.
Kadayawan Festival
Kadayawan Festival in Davao City can be a celebration of fine harvest. Held every third week of August, local folks go out for the streets and celebrate a bountiful yield in numerous ways, such street dancing competitions, parades of decorated floats, and power boat races. Trade fairs, flower shows, exhibits, and horse fight competitions are aligned in the weeklong festival.
There is also notable festivals that tourists should never pass up. Usually the golden months of Philippine festivals are January, April, May, and December. That’s why it is advised to put your reservations to hotels and resorts for your preferred accommodations and travel packages in advance.