Six Luzon Festivals You Should Not Miss!
May 26, 2010 by Lovely Philippines
Filed under Festivals
Luzon is the Philippines’ largest island and is composed of a lot of provinces, regions, cities, towns, cultures. As such, it is home to the country’s best festivals. Most of Luzon may be reached via land travel, unlike the Visayas, which is comprised of several islands and islets. If you live in Luzon, make it a point to see these six festivals in your lifetime. You can even do it in a year, as it seems that the best of Luzon festivals are spread out throughout the year and a major one is held almost every month.
The top six Luzon Festivals are:
1. The Pahiyas Festival
Held on May 15 of every year, the Pahiyas Festival is carried out to give thanks to San Isidro Labrador for the good harvest. It is one of the country’s oldest festivals tracing its origin way back to the 16th century. Back then, farmers bought food to the foot of Mt. Banahaw as a sign of Thanksgiving, but eventually this tradition — done in the hopes of having a good harvest year — was modified to make the church the central offering place.
The Pahiyas is commonly associated with Lucban, Quezon, but it is also celebrated in two other Quezon towns: Sariaya and Tayabas.
Why you should be there: Pahiyas is one of the most lively, most colorful and the most elaborate festival in Luzon. The whole place comes alive in color and music. Not to mention Lucban food that includes Lucban’s world famous longanisa, broas and kiping, the star of the pahiyas.
It used to be that February was Baguio City’s least favorable month, experiencing a doldrum in the number of visitor arrivals that usually peak in December (for the holiday season) and March or April (for the Lenten Season), on top of the summer months. However, with the introduction of the Panagbenga Festival, February became a time of pageantry, fun and merrymaking in Baguio City as the city becomes covered with the most beautiful flowers in the region.
Together with its blooms, Panagbenga also showcases the different cultures of its 11 tribes such as the Igorots and the Ibalois. In fact, the street dance of the Panagbenga features dances that are inspired by these cultural tribes.
Why you should be there: Simultaneously get a taste of Baguio’s tribal culture and the Tournament of Roses parade.
3. Fertility Dance at Obando
Couples who wish to have a child flock to Obando, Bulacan, and every May 17 to 19 to join the street dance in Honor of Santa Clara. The street dancing is said to be a prayer made by the couple. The belief stems from early practice and is said to be effective, as some have been miraculously blessed with an offspring soon after they joined the dancing.
Why you should be there: The benefits are obvious if you are childless, but for other people, the Obando dance is only one of the very few religious Luzon festivals that featured street dancing on a major part of the area.
4. Bangus Festival
Dagupan is known as the Bangus Capital of the Philippines, and the City lays its claim to this by holding the Bangus Festival for 19 days in April, culminating on April 28.
The bangus, or milkfish, festival pays tribute to the City’s biggest industry and features various activities that center on the fish. From deboning to eating, from the longest to the heaviest and even to the most beautiful, each year attempts to put out a record with its bangus competitions.
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!
5. Pagoda sa Wawa
Festivals are a time for celebration, but it is also a time for food. Bocaue, Bulacan’s Pagoda sa Wawa combines both.
The river festival is held every July, when a barge carrying a huge decorated float is released along the Bocaue River. This is where dozens and possibly hundreds of people partake on good food and great music. The floating feast actually commemorates Wawa’s Holy Cross, which was first found floating on the Bocaue River.
Why you should be there: Experience a one-of-a-kind river feast. After a tragedy left dozens of people dead a few years ago, the Wawa festival has been closely scrutinized to ensure the safety of future pagoda riders.
6. Bacao Festival
If Dagupan has its Bangus Festival, Isabela’s folks hold their Bacao festival in honor of St. Joseph for their good harvest of corn. Like the Bangus Festival, activities are more provincial featuring street dancing, rodeos, float competitions, and other contests. Held for five days starting on March 15.
Why you should be there: The Bacao Festival parade’s carabao dressed in costumes, and has a contest for the best-dressed beast of burden.
Panagbenga Festival in Baguio Philippines
February 11, 2010 by Lovely Philippines
Filed under Festivals
Panagbenga Festival Location:
Baguio City Philippines
Panagbenga Festival Schedule:
February Month
About Panagbenga Festival:
Panagbenga Festival has always been the most awaited festival in Baguio City (summer capital in the Philippines). A lot of tourists also visits this place to join their festival because of the cool weather and a lot of activities to enjoy. The Panagbenga Festival is celebrated for the whole month of February but the main event happens during the street parade and float parade that are decorated with flowers. On these days, crowd all over the city is pretty much expected.
Panagbenga came from a Malayo-Polynesian origin, that means “season of blooming”. The Festival is celebrated to pay tribute to the city’s flowers and as a way to rise up from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake.
Some activities to be expected are paintball tournaments, airsoft tournaments, bazaar, PMA Homecoming, street dancing, landscaping contest, etc.
History
Formerly known as the Baguio Flower Festival, the Panagbenga Festival, was formed and organized last 1995 by brainchild of Attorney Damaso Bangaoet Jr. of the John Hay Poro Point Development Corporation (JPDC) and Victor A. Lim of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA). Entries from the annual Camp John Hay art contest gave its official logo which is, a spray of sunflowers. The festival was set in February to boost tourism as it was considered as a month of inactivity between the busy days of Christmas season and the Holy Week and the summer season.
In 1996, archivist and curator Ike Picpican suggested that the festival be renamed as Panagbenga, a Kankanaey term that means “a season of blossoming, a time for flowering”.
Panagbenga Festival 2010 Schedule:
November 16 – Launch of Panagbenga 2010
February 1 – Opening Parade
February 13 – Chinese New Year
February 12-14 – Legarda Rocks
February 14 – Fluvial Parade
February 14 – Camelot on the Lake
February 20 – Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom
February 20-22 – PMA Homecoming 2010
February 27 – Grand Panagbenga Street Parade
February 28 – Grand Float Parade
February 26-28 – Abanao Nights
Feb 1 – Mar 7 – Market Encounter
March 1-7 – Session Road in Bloom
March 6 – Pony Boys Day