FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY 2014 FESTIVALS OF THE PHILIPPINES Choices

A. LUZON 1. Bangus Festival The Dagupan Bangus Festival is a yearly event in Pangasinan first initiated by Mayor Benjamin Lim in 2002. The festival aims to promote the citys local bangus ( milkfish) industry. In 2003, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized the Kalutan ed Dagupan as the Longest Barbecue of the World. Celebrated on April just before the onset of the Pistay 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. Why you should be there: Aside from being there while the City or its citizens bag a possible Guinness World Record, the festival also features street dancing contests, the search for the Bangus Queen (a beauty pageant), fluvial parades, and a citywide sale for the shopaholics on a budget! 2. 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. IBALONG FESTIVAL of Legazpi City, Albay October The Ibalong Festival is a non-religious festival in Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines and is held in August. The festival celebrates the epic story Ibalong who was accompanied by three legendary heroes, namely Baltog, Handyong, Bantong and other ancient heroes. People parade in the streets wearing masks and costumes to imitate the appearances of the heroes and the villains, portraying the classic battles that made their way into the

history of Bicol. The Ibalong Festival aims - o express warmth and goodwill to all people; visitors and tourists are encouraged to celebrate with the Bicolanos. 4. SINUKWAN FESTIVAL Sinukwan Festival in honor of the ancient mythical god Aring Sinukwan. This festival is a celebration of everything Kapampangan, from food to culture to dances. It is during this celebration that trade fairs, cultural pageants, and street dancing are done. The partakers in the festival dance in the streets in their elaborate white and yellow costumes to the Kapampangan song Atin Cu Pung Singsing.

B. VISAYAS 1. SINULOG FESTIVAL of CEBU January - Celebrated every 3rd week of January in Cebu City. This Philippine fiesta in Visayas region celebrates Cebu's patron saint, the Santo Nio (Child Christ). This week long event is marked by processions, street dancing and parades. This fiesta is a local version of the Mardi gras. - The Sinulog Festival is held in Cebu and lasts well over a week, culminating in the street parade or Mardi Gras that falls on the third Sunday of every January. The feast venerates the Senyor Santo Nino de Cebu. For many years, Cebus Sinulog has featured different activities such as the Miss Cebu beauty pageant, the fluvial procession, the solemn street procession, the film-making contests, the arts contests, among others. But most people, especially non-locals, equate Sinulog with the Grand Parade. 2. ATI- ATIHAN FESTIVAL- Kalibo, Aklan January - fiesta starts from the16th to the 22nd of January in Kalibo, Aklan. Revelers masquerading as Negritos in colorful costumes, dance to the beat of drums while chanting "Hala Bira!" in preparation to the Sunday procession in honor of the Santo Nio. It is the mother of all Philippine Festivals because Sinulog Festival of Cebu and Dinagyang of Iloilo are adaptations of the Kalibo Ati-Atihan Festival. - The Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in January in honor of the Santo Nio (Infant Jesus), concluding on the third Sunday, in the island and town of Kalibo, Aklan in thePhilippines. - Ati-atihan means to be like aetasor make believe atis. Aetas were the primary settlers in the islands according to history books. They too are the earliest settlers of Panay Island where the province of Aklan is. 3. DINAGYANG FESTIVAL 0F ILOILO January - Dinagyang Festival is much anticipated with several events serving as highlights, including the search for Iloilos prettiest ladies in the Miss Dinagyang pageant, the Atis street dancing, and the Kasadyahan street dancing. Like the Sinulog and Ati-atihan, prayers, drum beats and colorful costumes litter the streets of Iloilo for the Dinagyang. The Dinagyang is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines held on the fourth Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog In Cebu and the Ati-Atihan in Aklan. It is held both to honor the Santo Nio and

to celebrate the arrival on Panay of Malay settlers and the subsequent selling of the island to them by the Atis. 4. Pintado-Kasadyahan Festival OF TACLOBAN, LEYTE June - Lasting a whole month, Tacloban City holds the Pintados-Kasadyahan Festival culminating on June 29. The current festival also includes the Leyte Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals, the Pagrayhak Grand Parade, and the Pintados Ritual Dance Presentation. The festival commemorates and fleshes out how the Spaniards saw the early Filipinos when they arrived in Leyte: bodies filled with tattoos and holding weapons which were previously heated in open fire. In fact, pintados is how the tattoo-covered natives were called, and thats how the festival got its name. 5. Halaran Festival of Roxas, Capiz - December - The Sinadya sa Halaran Festival is the joint festival of the City of Roxas and the Province of Capiz. It is a mixed festival in that it is celebrated for both cultural and religious reasons. It is celebrated every first weekend of December in commemoration of the Feast of the Virgin of the Immaculate Concepcion who also happens to be the patroness of the City of Roxas. Sinadya sa Halaran boasts of colorful activities like the grand parade of festivals, the fluvial parade, the lighted river floaters. There is also the traditional seafood festival and the grand pyrotechnic display. - Sinadya sa Halaran is one of Roxas Citys most important annual events and is fusion of two festivals Sinadya (City) and Halaran (Province) which literally means joy in sharing and thanksgiving. It is celebrated on December 4-8 to commemorate the religious activities that embody the true Capiceo spirit. The highlights of the celebration are the Dancing Parade, Higantes, Fluvial Parade, Fireworks display, Mutya sa Halaran beauty pageant, Coronation of the Fiesta Queen, and Agri-Aqua Trade Fair. 6. MASKARA FESTIVAL BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL OCTOBER - Bacolod City holds its Charter Day on the 19th of October every year. Coinciding with its Charter Day is the MassKara Festival, a week-long activity that is currently dubbed as the Festival of Smile, a take on Bacolods own mo nicker as the City of Smiles. - Unlike other festivals in the Visayas, however, the MassKara is not religious or tribal in nature. Instead, the Festival ironically traces its roots on tragedy. The festival was first held in 1980, at a time when sugar cane and sugar prices plummeted and the livelihood of Bacolenos suffered. It was also during that year that a terrible maritime tragedy left more than 700 Negrenses dead when the Don Juan and the tanker Tacloban City collided with each other and sank. - To eclipse the tragedy and the sorrow, Bacolod held its first MassKara Festival. The term MassKara was coined by Ely Santiago, meaning many faces. It also became the festivals trademark: smiling masks worn by the participants.

Masskara features the search for the festival queen, street carnivals, competitions, food fests, sports and music events, garden and agricultural shows and other activities.The MassKara Festival is a festival held each year in Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental province in the Philippines every third weekend of October nearest October 19, the citys Charter Inauguration Anniversary.

C. MINDANAO 1. KADAYAWAN FESTIVAL OF DAVAO AUGUST - This festival in DavaoCity is often dubbed as the festival of allMindanao festivals. Kadayawan is a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture and the bounties of harvest. There are parades with beautiful fruits and flower arrangements and a variety of indigenous tribes parade the streets, dressed in tribal costumes. The Kadayawan is held every August. - Kadayawan is derived from the prehistoric word madayaw, a warm and friendly greeting also used to explain a thing that is valuable, superior, beautiful, good, or profitable, Kadayawan in Mandaya means anything that brings fortune, a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, the bounties of harvest and serenity of living. 2. TUNA FESTIVAL OF GENSAN - September 5, 2012 - The Tuna Festival in General Santos City is an annual week-long festival celebrated during the first week of September highlighting the significant role of the tuna industry in the province as its primary source of income. - The week-long celebration features different events and activities focusing on the tuna industry of the province. Among these are the annual Tuna Congress, the Tuna Fiesta Carnival, the Tuna Culinary Skills Competition, the Sashimi Night, the Fish Dance Competition, Miss GenSan Pageant, the Bodyfest Modeling Competition and the Float Light Parade. 3. Kaamulan Festival of Bukidnon - February/Mach - the Kaamulan is an ethnic cultural festival held annually in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, from the second half of February to March 10. It is held to celebrate the cultures and traditions of the seven ethnic tribal groups Bukidnon, Higaonon, Talaandig, Manobo, Matigsalug, Tigwahanon and Umayamnon that originally inhabit the province. - The Kaamulan, derived from a Bukidnon term meaning gathering of farmers to celebrate a bountiful harvest, has been recognized by the Department of

Tourism as an international attraction comparable to the Sinulog in Cebu and the Dinagyang in Iloilo.
4.

KAGAY-AN FESTIVAL
is a week-long festival in celebration of Cagayan de Oro's patron saint Seor San Agustin, held every month of August. The word "Kagay-an" thus means a river.

Among the highlights of the occasion are the Higaonon Street Dancing (named after one of Cagayan de Oros native tribes), where locals in their ethnic garments rhythmically move across the boulevard and the Kumbira , where professional chefs and up and coming culinary apprentices compete and showcase their gastronomic flair. Other activities taking center stage are the Kagay-an Agro-Trade, Miss Kagay-an, and the Golden Float Parade.

Luzon 1. 2. 3. 4.

BANGUS FESTIVAL of DAGUPAN April (Amalin) PAMULINAWEN FESTIVAL of Laoag City February (anna abe.) IBALONG FESTIVAL of Legazpi City, Albay October (Anna Tere) SINUKWAN FESTIVAL of Pampanga - November to December (Marie Chris)

Visayas 1. SINULOG FESTIVAL of CEBU January (Rodel) 2. ATI- ATIHAN FESTIVAL- Kalibo, Aklan January (Juliet) 3. PINTADO-KASADYAHAN FESTIVAL OF TACLOBAN, LEYTE June (edna) 4. MASKARA FESTIVAL of BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL OCTOBER (Nori) Mindanao 1. KADAYAWAN FESTIVAL OF DAVAO AUGUST (Romel) 2. TUNA FESTIVAL OF GENSAN September (Marlon) 3. KAAMULAN FESTIVAL of Bukidnon - February/Mach (Marion) 4. KAGAY-AN FESTIVAL 0f Cagayan de Oro August (Jowell)