RP’s most colorful festivals
BY HAROLD GERONIMO

There’s no doubt that Filipinos are among the happiest people in the world. No matter how many times calamities hit the country, the Filipino’s pursuit for happiness remains and never changes. In fact, revelry and merrymaking continue in different parts of the archipelago as many provinces and cities celebrate their festivals month after month. Just as we start the year, three major festivals honoring the Santo Niño are held in Cebu, Iloilo and Kalibo. These festivals draw hundreds of thousands of local and international tourists every year.
There are more than a hundred fiestas being celebrated in the country yearly, and most of them are religious in nature. I’ve been to most of these festivals and all these joyous, colorful festivities make me more proud to be Filipino!
1. Masskara Festival—Bacolod City
When it comes to colorful parades, Bacolod’s MassKara Festival definitely tops the list. This weeklong celebration in the capital city of Negros Occidental is highlighted by a street dancing competition of colorfully-masked dancers gyrating to the beat of Latin music. This is Bacolod’s version of Mardi Gras, which started during the sugar crisis in the early 80s, and the sad faces of the Negrenses were concealed by masks decorated with beads and colorful ornaments. MassKara came from the words mass, which means many, and kara, the Spanish term for faces. Thus, MassKara is a showcase of many faces that are smiling, making Bacolod as the Philippines’ City of Smiles since the 1970s.
2. Panagbenga Festival—Baguio City
Held every February, Baguio City’s Panagbenga Festival is definitely a must-see and must-experience festivity in the country. Similar to Pasadena’s Rose Parade in the United States, this festival is highlighted by a parade of floats decorated with fresh flowers. It is also highlighted by a street dance, performed by dances clad in flower-inspired costumes inspired by the Bendian, a traditional Ibaloy dance of celebration in the Cordillera region. This month-long annual flower festival was created as a tribute to the city’s bountiful flower produce, and as the people’s way to rise up from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake that badly hit the city and claimed thousands of lives. Every year, the month of February becomes the busiest month for the City of Pines as thousands of foreign and local tourists visit this lovely city. This congestion of tourists extends up to the months of March and April as Baguio becomes one of the most visited places in the country during the summer season.
3. Ati-Atihan, Sinulog and Dinagyang Festivals
These January festivals are held to honor the feast of the Santo Niño or Child Jesus. The Ati-Atihan Festival of Kalibo, Aklan is known to be the Mother of All Philippine Festivals since it is one of the oldest festivals being celebrated in the country every year. It is also the wildest among Philippine fiestas as revelers paint their faces with black soot and wear outlandish costumes as they dance during the last three days of the two-week long festival. Sinulog Festival, on the other hand, is known to be the grandest Philippine festival celebrated by the Queen City of the South. Cebu becomes the central venue of Pinoy merrymaking during this time of the year. The dance ritual commemorates the Cebuanos’ pagan origin and their acceptance of Christianity. Likewise, the Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City is both a religious and cultural festival as it commemorates the arrival of Malay settlers on Panay island and the subsequent selling of the island to them by the Atis (black people). These three festivals share their own unique cultural identities as they all shout Pit Senor!
4. Pahiyas Festival—Lucban, Quezon
The 15th of May marks the celebration of Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon in honor of the patron saint of farmers, San Isidro de Labrador. The festival showcases a street of houses that are adorned with agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables, as well as handicrafts and kiping, a rice-made decoration in different colors that are usually edible. Some local folks would fry or grill these kipings to serve to guests during the celebration. This is Lucban’s way of thanksgiving for the year’s bountiful harvests. The best decorated houses are being awarded every year.
5. Kadayawan Sa Dabaw
The Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival is an annual celebration in Davao City held every third week of August. The festival is a celebration of life and the Davaoenos’ thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, wealth of culture, bountiful harvests and the serenity of living. Dancers clad in colorful native costumes perform in the streets during the highlights of the celebration. The name Kadayawan is derived from the local friendly greeting madayaw, from the Bisaya term dayaw, meaning good, valuable or beautiful. During this weeklong festival, Davao City also showcases its popular local produce Durian which can be sold everywhere in the city.
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