FESTIVALS OF PHILIPPINES

New Delhi: The Philippines is a country full of beautiful scenery, abundant natural resources, and welcoming people. Here, everybody is welcome to be part of the fun from the captivating coastlines to the creative native crafts, to the unique gastronomic experience, you will find the kind of fun that is uniquely yours.

There is always something fun to discover. Festivals in the Philippines are an integral aspect of the local culture, known for their grand, vibrant celebrations. There are plenty of festivals which are celebrated in the beautiful country Major festivals include the Ati-atihan, Dinagyang and Sinulog festivals in Akian, Iloilo and Cebu respectively. They are one/two day events primarily for the domestic market – have international appeal.

Here’s a list of festivals to keep a lookout for while planning your trip to the Philippines.

Buyogan Festival – Buyog (bees) dancers depict the origin of the town’s name in a well-choreographed dance/ festival. It has environmental preservation dimension importance of bees in nature preservation and man’s health.

Dinagyang Festival – Dinagyang Festival is one of the biggest and world-class festivals in the Philippines. It traces the history of devotion to the Holy Child Jesus popularly known to Filipino devotees as Sr. Sto. Nino. The festival also commemorates the arrival of the Malay settlers and the legendary barter of Panay Island from the natives called called Ati.

Karatong Festival – Karatong is the Waray (a native of and language in Leyte) word for bamboo. During the olden times, way before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, the people in Dulag used bamboos to warn the town if there were enemies, such as pirates and tribes, who wanted to invade their lands. They would make loud noises to warn the townsmen of the arrival of the intruders, and would use it also as their weapon in the form of spears to fight against the enemies. With the story they have, they will make it into a series of routines, amazing music and dance moves.

Giant Lantern Festival – Rising at 18 feet in diameter and fitted with close to 7,000 bulbs that blink on and off through a number of rotors in sync with a medley of Filipino Christmas songs, these giant lanterns let out not less than 10 designs that feature geometric shapes, flowers, fans, cones and hearts glowing in all colours of the rainbow. The exhibition is usually capped by the opening of the innermost circle in half to reveal in full bloom what the lantern makers designed to be the showcase of their presentation like the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the grand applause from a crowd estimated at 20,000 each year. The festival is participated in by some 8-10 villages of the City San Fernando in Pampanga with each one creating its own design, colour combination and interplay of lights and sound. The city is known as the lantern capital of the Philippines.

These are just a few of the festivals that you may easily include in your schedule for the Philippines. You’re sure to experience some sort of event throughout your time here given the rich culture and history of this nation.