SUMMER FESTIVALS IN THE PHILIPPINES

      It’s festival time in the Philippines. Philippines is well known for its festivals that is celebrated all year round. Filipino people are festival or fiesta loving people. Now that it is summer means that it is the festival season here in the country. 

                So here are some of the top summer festivals which are also known to the world: 

 

PAHIYAS FESTIVAL: Celebrated in Lucban, Quezon so that they will have a bountiful harvest. The Pahiyas Festival is a pride for Lucbanons to keep their culture and religion alive. They feature their rice-based delicacies to their guest. The kiping is a colored and almost transparent rice tortilla which are also used to decorate houses during the fiesta.

KAAMULAN FESTIVAL: Celebrated in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. Kaamulan Festival features Mindanao’s diverse culture and arts. In the festivities, Bukidnon’s indigenous groups are the one performing the rituals and dances which attracts tourists and visitors. There indigenous groups are the Talaandig, Higaunon, Umayamnon, Manobo, Tigwahanon, Matigsalug and Bukidnon.

OBANDO FERTILITY RITES: Obando is a small town in Bulacan located in the banks of Angat River. This celebrates the festival or fiesta in honor of their three patron saints. Their three patron saints are: Santa Clara, the patron saint of the childless; San Pascual Baylon, a 16th century shepherd who danced his prayers and became a model of religious virtue; and the Lady of Salambao, who got her name because the image of the Immaculate Conception was fished out by a fisherman, with the use of a salambao net. The festival is celebrated with a street dance performed by the childless women.

BANGKERO FESTIVAL: Celebrated in Pagsanjan, the tourist capital of Laguna. The Bankero Festival is celebrated in honor of the “bangkeros” or boatmen who amazes tourists and local visitors with their skills in maneuvering boats upstream against wild rapids. The festivities is celebrated with fluvial parade, street dancing competition and exhibitions.

CARABAO FESTIVAL: The towns of Nueva Ecija such as Pulilan, Bulacan; and Angono, Rizal pays homage to the carabaos which are the farmer’s best friend on the feast day of San Isidro. The well groomed and dressed carabaos are and assembled at the church yard in the early morning of the fiesta day where the priests bless them. After the blessing, these carabaos are lined up to parade around the town. The highlights of the festivities is the carabao racing eash other across the fields.

PINTADOS DE PASI FESTIVAL: Celebrated in Passi City, Iloilo is one of the most popular and well known festival in the Philippines. Pintados de Pasi Festival features the traditional body tatoo of the Performers of the streetdancing prsentation which impress tourists and local visitors.

SANTACRUZAN: This festival is also known as Flores de Mayo. This festival is the most popular festival in the Philippines and is tagged as the “Queen of Filipino Festivals”. This festival is celebrated in almost all towns all over the country. This festival depicts the re-enacting the time when Queen Helena and Constantine searched and found the Cross of Jesus Christ. The highlights of the festivities is the parade of town’s beautiful ladies and the most beautiful and loveliest becomes the “Reyna Elena”.

TABAK FESTIVAL: A celebration of cityhood, coincides with Tabaco City’s week-long celebration of its Foundation Anniversary in Albay. The highlight of this event is a street presentation where participants showcase the legend of the city.

RODEO MASBATENO: Each year Masbate City celebrates its own cowboy culture, the colorful Rodeo Masbateño. Visitors and tourist will see cattle wrestling, bull riding, roping and carabao race. These are the rodeo attractions that are typical to rodeo events in the US.