Festivals

[ekimswish]

I was hanging around the Dragon Boat Festival today where I live in Taiwan. I was wondering, are there any festivals you guys attend where you live in the Philippines. I've not stayed long enough or been free enough from family to search these things out. The biggest event I've been to is the cockfighting galera, or the next town's fiesta, the day after the parade. Fiesta was great! Amazing to see how hospitible they are to friends, family, employees, and coworkers, preparing so much food and drinks. Anyways.... festivals.... been to any? Seen any?

[Mr Lee]

The Sinulog Festival in Cebu is one of the largest and even has its own website. Check it out at the link I have included.

[ekimswish]

The Sinulog Festival in Cebu is one of the largest and even has its own website. Check it out at the link I have included.

Has anyone ever been?

[adventureguy]

Sinulog is a great festival. You should defintely see it next year. Here is a list of some upcoming festival in Cebu this year. Pintos Festival (Bogo, Cebu) - 16th of June, 2011 Celebrated every June 16 in commemoration of the City Charter Day Celebration. The Festival involves creative street dancing depicting the sangi (Planting) and thanksgiving of the abundant harvest and merrymaking through dancing the Kuyayang.Palawod Festival (Municipality of Bantayan) - June 29, 2011Palawod is the fishermen’s daily toil, their means of livelihood, their life and pride. The street dancing festival captures and preserves the unique traditional fishing rituals inherent to the island. It is the Bantayanons’ way of depicting their life through dance, music and the visual arts.Bonga Festival (Sibonga, Cebu) - 9th of AugustThe celebration is in honor of the town’s patron saint, Our Lady of Pilar and Santa Filomena. Among its highlights is the street dancing and ritual/showdown competition. ‘Bunga is a Cebuano word which means fruit in English. This festival is a form of thanksgiving for all the blessings and graces the Sibongahnhons have received for the abundant fruits found in their town.Dinagat Bakasi Festival ( Cordova, Cebu) - 2nd Sunday of August 14, 2011 before the town fiestaThe festival is a unique reinvention of the dinagat festival. The exotic eel locally known as ‘bakasi’ is peculiar and abundant in Cordova. The dance replicates the gliding movement of the Bakasi. Other related activities include a Bakasi race and cooking contest to show off the man ways in preparing bakasi which is the main livelihood of the people.Siloy Festival (Alcoy, Cebu) - last Saturday of August 27, 2011The festival promotes the Mag-abo forest with its famous Black Shama or Siloy, the town’s scenic white sand beaches and dive spots and in honor of the town’s patroness Saint Rose of Lima.Haladaya Festival (Municipality of Daanbantayan) - August 30, 2011Haladaya means “Halad kang Datu Daya”, the leader of the first Malayan settlers in Daan Bantayan. Highlights include fluvial parade where patron saints of the different barangays will be placed in a decorated bancas and paraded in the sea; Puto festival is a cooking competition where the community shows the heroism of Datu Daya and the celebration of victory, life and good harvest.Karansa Festival (Danao City, Cebu) - 3rd Sunday of September 18, 2011Karansa is a dance expressing one’s joy and happiness performed in 4 basic steps: the kiay, karag, kurug and kurahay that jibes with the Karansa official beat. It is celebrated during the city’s annual town fiesta in honor of Sto. Tomas de Villanueva. Among the highlights is a street dancing and showdown competition with the performers dressed in colorful vibrant costumes.Pitlagong Festival ( Argao, Cebu) - 28th of September, 2011The Pitlagong festival of Argao is a tribute to the tradition of townsfolk faith, celebrations, food, work, livelihood, arts and crafts. Pitlagong is an instrument for cleaning the sugong (bamboo container for tuba) which is very important to the taste and quality of tuba (coconut wine). Tuba is what Rajah Humabon offered to our first Spanish visitors led by Fernando Magallanes. And was likewise offered to our ancestral Gods before becoming Christians.Inasal (Halad), Talisay City, Cebu - 15th of October, 2011A showcase of the city’s historical heritage and identity promoting the city as an aqua and tourist hub, through street dancing as a thanksgiving offering for the blessing received through the intercession of the city patroness’ Sta. Teresa de Avila, sports fest, parade of the great personages as higantes, food festival featuring the famous “INASAL” or lechon, Talisay’s city roast pig it being the undisputable best – golden brown, crackling crispy skin, tasty meat from secret stuffed herbs.Kabkaban Festival (Carcar City ) November(Sat. or Sun before town fiesta; No exact date yet)The festival is not just a religious fanfare in honor of the town’s patroness, St. Catherine of Alexandria, but a cultural catalogue of the town’s historical periods and industry like shoemaking, as well as their arts that is showcased through street dancing and parade. The festival is derived from Carcar’s old name, Kabkad , a kind of fern.Toslob Festival (Oslob, Cebu) - 8th of December, 2011In celebration of the town’s annual fiesta of Municipality of Oslob,' Toslob’ is a form of merrymaking and thanksgiving for the blessings received for the past year from the town’s patroness, the Immaculate Conception.

[Papa Carl]

Sinulog is a great festival. You should defintely see it next year. Here is a list of some upcoming festival in Cebu this year. Pintos Festival (Bogo, Cebu) - 16th of June, 2011 Celebrated every June 16 in commemoration of the City Charter Day Celebration. The Festival involves creative street dancing depicting the sangi (Planting) and thanksgiving of the abundant harvest and merrymaking through dancing the Kuyayang.Palawod Festival (Municipality of Bantayan) - June 29, 2011Palawod is the fishermen’s daily toil, their means of livelihood, their life and pride. The street dancing festival captures and preserves the unique traditional fishing rituals inherent to the island. It is the Bantayanons’ way of depicting their life through dance, music and the visual arts.Bonga Festival (Sibonga, Cebu) - 9th of AugustThe celebration is in honor of the town’s patron saint, Our Lady of Pilar and Santa Filomena. Among its highlights is the street dancing and ritual/showdown competition. ‘Bunga is a Cebuano word which means fruit in English. This festival is a form of thanksgiving for all the blessings and graces the Sibongahnhons have received for the abundant fruits found in their town.Dinagat Bakasi Festival ( Cordova, Cebu) - 2nd Sunday of August 14, 2011 before the town fiestaThe festival is a unique reinvention of the dinagat festival. The exotic eel locally known as ‘bakasi’ is peculiar and abundant in Cordova. The dance replicates the gliding movement of the Bakasi. Other related activities include a Bakasi race and cooking contest to show off the man ways in preparing bakasi which is the main livelihood of the people.Siloy Festival (Alcoy, Cebu) - last Saturday of August 27, 2011The festival promotes the Mag-abo forest with its famous Black Shama or Siloy, the town’s scenic white sand beaches and dive spots and in honor of the town’s patroness Saint Rose of Lima.Haladaya Festival (Municipality of Daanbantayan) - August 30, 2011Haladaya means “Halad kang Datu Daya”, the leader of the first Malayan settlers in Daan Bantayan. Highlights include fluvial parade where patron saints of the different barangays will be placed in a decorated bancas and paraded in the sea; Puto festival is a cooking competition where the community shows the heroism of Datu Daya and the celebration of victory, life and good harvest.Karansa Festival (Danao City, Cebu) - 3rd Sunday of September 18, 2011Karansa is a dance expressing one’s joy and happiness performed in 4 basic steps: the kiay, karag, kurug and kurahay that jibes with the Karansa official beat. It is celebrated during the city’s annual town fiesta in honor of Sto. Tomas de Villanueva. Among the highlights is a street dancing and showdown competition with the performers dressed in colorful vibrant costumes.Pitlagong Festival ( Argao, Cebu) - 28th of September, 2011The Pitlagong festival of Argao is a tribute to the tradition of townsfolk faith, celebrations, food, work, livelihood, arts and crafts. Pitlagong is an instrument for cleaning the sugong (bamboo container for tuba) which is very important to the taste and quality of tuba (coconut wine). Tuba is what Rajah Humabon offered to our first Spanish visitors led by Fernando Magallanes. And was likewise offered to our ancestral Gods before becoming Christians.Inasal (Halad), Talisay City, Cebu - 15th of October, 2011A showcase of the city’s historical heritage and identity promoting the city as an aqua and tourist hub, through street dancing as a thanksgiving offering for the blessing received through the intercession of the city patroness’ Sta. Teresa de Avila, sports fest, parade of the great personages as higantes, food festival featuring the famous “INASAL” or lechon, Talisay’s city roast pig it being the undisputable best – golden brown, crackling crispy skin, tasty meat from secret stuffed herbs.Kabkaban Festival (Carcar City ) November(Sat. or Sun before town fiesta; No exact date yet)The festival is not just a religious fanfare in honor of the town’s patroness, St. Catherine of Alexandria, but a cultural catalogue of the town’s historical periods and industry like shoemaking, as well as their arts that is showcased through street dancing and parade. The festival is derived from Carcar’s old name, Kabkad , a kind of fern.Toslob Festival (Oslob, Cebu) - 8th of December, 2011In celebration of the town’s annual fiesta of Municipality of Oslob,' Toslob’ is a form of merrymaking and thanksgiving for the blessings received for the past year from the town’s patroness, the Immaculate Conception.

Wow! What a great idea! Thanks for all this information, Great stuff. We should have a section on the Home Page that lists all of the up and coming Festivals, with a link or short bio about each just like Adventureguy has above. Well done guys, this is definitely something that should be openly displayed on the Home page, and would I think grab the people searching on the web, along with make people join the forum as it is a great attraction to newbies like me!!!! Especially if it have prominence on the page that searchers would first see.:th_thbestpost:Papa Carl

[adventureguy]

Wow! What a great idea! Thanks for all this information, Great stuff. We should have a section on the Home Page that lists all of the up and coming Festivals, with a link or short bio about each just like Adventureguy has above. Well done guys, this is definitely something that should be openly displayed on the Home page, and would I think grab the people searching on the web, along with make people join the forum as it is a great attraction to newbies like me!!!! Especially if it have prominence on the page that searchers would first see.:th_thbestpost:Papa Carl

Thanks Papa Carl. I agree...we already have a "World Events Forum" section here, but nothing for local events. I think this would be a great addition to the forums because so many of the happenings are not easy to know about unless you are well connected in that local community.

[ekimswish]

Wow! What a great idea! Thanks for all this information, Great stuff. We should have a section on the Home Page that lists all of the up and coming Festivals, with a link or short bio about each just like Adventureguy has above. Well done guys, this is definitely something that should be openly displayed on the Home page, and would I think grab the people searching on the web, along with make people join the forum as it is a great attraction to newbies like me!!!! Especially if it have prominence on the page that searchers would first see.:th_thbestpost:Papa Carl

Thanks Papa Carl. I agree...we already have a "World Events Forum" section here, but nothing for local events. I think this would be a great addition to the forums because so many of the happenings are not easy to know about unless you are well connected in that local community.

Yeah, I usually just stumble upon events by accident, if ever. It would be nice to have a better idea what's happening, and why. It seems to me most foreigners move to Cebu and just hang out in shopping malls, bars, and then become experts on all things Filipino.

[Papa Carl]

Wow! What a great idea! Thanks for all this information, Great stuff. We should have a section on the Home Page that lists all of the up and coming Festivals, with a link or short bio about each just like Adventureguy has above. Well done guys, this is definitely something that should be openly displayed on the Home page, and would I think grab the people searching on the web, along with make people join the forum as it is a great attraction to newbies like me!!!! Especially if it have prominence on the page that searchers would first see.:th_thbestpost:Papa Carl

Thanks Papa Carl. I agree...we already have a "World Events Forum" section here, but nothing for local events. I think this would be a great addition to the forums because so many of the happenings are not easy to know about unless you are well connected in that local community.

Yeah, I usually just stumble upon events by accident, if ever. It would be nice to have a better idea what's happening, and why. It seems to me most foreigners move to Cebu and just hang out in shopping malls, bars, and then become experts on all things Filipino.

Not only would it help with potential new forum members and give us prominence in regards to SEO, but it may also be another way for members who are staying or living in the philippines to organize "get togethers" that would involve participating in the local festival. It would be a great form of getting members to visit different areas of the Philippines that they have not visited, and bring together expats for face to face meetings. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with meeting at a local eatery, have food and drinks and a good time, but this may be a way of adding "something extra" to the "get togethers" It might also motivate more people to join in, and bring in even more members. :551:Papa Carl