Festival Dances: Cultural Celebrations

Festival Dances

• Festival dances are cultural dances performed to the strong beats of percussion instruments.
• They are performed by a community sharing the same culture, often in honor of a Patron Saint or in thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest.
• Festival dances can be religious or secular in nature.
• Festivals add to the merry-making and festivities where they are celebrated.
• Festival dances portray the people's culture through movements, costumes, and implements inherent to their place of origin.
• Filipinos do festivals primarily to celebrate.
• Filipinos celebrate their unity amidst cultural diversity and their harvests.
• Festivals are consistent crowd-producing activities leading to the upliftment of a community's economy due to tourism and entertainment value, attracting foreign and domestic tourists.
• This elevates the quality of life for Filipinos.
• Whatever festival celebrated, whether in honor of religious icons or celebrating harvest, festival dances reflect the unity of Filipinos.
• Despite challenges, Filipinos are resilient.
• A key example, Aliwan Fiesta occurs at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.

Religious Festivals

• Sinulog Festival is an annual cultural and religious festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City. It is the center of Santo Niño Catholic celebrations in the Philippines.
• Dinagyang Festival is celebrated every fourth weekend of January to honor the Christianization of natives and respect the Holy Child Jesus. It is a tribute in honor of Señor Sto. Niño whom Ilonggos (Iloilo City) believe was very miraculous in times of famine and drought.
• Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in January in honor of the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus), concluding on the third Sunday, in the island and town of Kalibo, Aklan in the Philippines. Ati-Atihan means "to be like Atis" or "make believe Atis". Itas were the primary settlers in the islands.
• Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is celebrated on the third Saturday of September in Naga City, Bicol. The feast day is preceded by a novena, nine days of prayer, in honor of the Virgin.
• Higantes Festival (also known as the Feast of Saint Clemente) is celebrated every November 23 in Angono, Rizal. It is a major festival in honor of Saint Clemente, the patron saint of fishermen.
• Longganisa Festival is held every January 25 in Vigan City, celebrating the conversion of St. Paul the Apostle. St. Paul was known as Saul before his conversion, a zealous persecutor of Christians.
• Kinabayo Festival is a celebration held every July 25 in Dapitan City Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines, re-enacting the Spanish-Moorish wars. It involved the Battle of Covadonga where the Spanish forces under General Pelagio took their last stand against Saracan. They were able to overcome the tide due to the miraculous spirit of St. James.
• Pintados de Passi Festival is a celebration celebrating the cityhood of Passi City, central Iloilo province, in March 1998, honoring Sto. Niño.
• Pattaraday Festival celebrates the founding anniversary of Santiago City, Isabela, in honor of Senor San Tiago every May.
• Sangyaw Festival is a religious and socio-cultural event revived in 2008 by the city government in Tacloban City, Leyte. It means "to herald news" in Waray and is celebrated in the month of July.

Secular Festivals

• Bangus Festival is one of the country's biggest and most colorful celebrations of local industry and culture. It is mainly known for Dagupan City, Pangasinan, known for tasty bangus products. The annual affair draws large crowds from all over the Philippines.
• Bambanti Festival is an Ilocano word meaning "scarecrow (farming)" in Isabela, marking the rice and cornfields' harvest or planting.
• Mammangi Festival is a Ybanag word meaning harvest or planting of corn. It is celebrated in the last week of May in Ilagan, Isabela to honor farmers, essentially a thanksgiving activity for a good harvest.
• Mango Festival is a six-day event in Zambales in April which gives thanks for the abundant harvest of mangoes and other agricultural products. It also highlights various attractions in the province.
• Panagbenga Festival is a month-long flower festival in Baguio, celebrated in February, and it marks their rise from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake.
• Ibon Ebon Festival features the municipality of Candaba, Pampanga. Celebrated every February, it is one of the more colourful events, featuring migratory birds and highlighting its growing duck-egg industry.
• Masskara Festival is a festival held each year in Bacolod, Philippines held every third weekend of October. The festival began in 1980 in a period of crisis in the industry.
• T'nalak Festival is held annually in South Cotabato every July and celebrates the anniversary, honoring a popular cloth called t'nalak, a colorful cloth woven by the local T'boli women, made of abaca.
• Ammungan Festival is a gathering with a strong emphasis on showing the beauty and unity of diversity among various ethnic groups.
• Binatbatan Festival traces its roots from the weaving industry of Vigan. It focuses on Vigan's weaving industry, which existed even before the Spaniards came to colonize the Philippines.

Festival dances are cultural performances to percussion beats in community celebrations. Often religious or secular, they honor patron saints, celebrate harvests, and portray local culture through movement, costumes, and symbols. These dances boost local economies by attracting tourists.