FESTIVAL GUIDE
1. Panagbenga Festival When: February Where: Baguio
Highlights: Flower Festival, Grand Flower Float Parade, Drum and Lyre Competition, street dancers dressed in floral-themed costumes Must-eats: The strawberry taho is a specialty of Baguio. The Filipino snack in a cup is composed of soft soya bean curd or tofu and tapioca pearls, topped with strawberry syrup instead of brown sugar syrup.
2. Higantes Festival When: Nov. 22-23 Where: Angono, Rizal Highlights: Higantes Parade, basaan, Parehadores Parade
Must-eats: Balaw Balaw is a side dish of tiny fermented rice and shrimp served as an appetizer and sauce, considered a common complement to every satisfying meal.
3. Dinamulag Festival When: 3rd week of March Where: Zambales
Highlights: Mango Harvest and Fair, street dancing competition, Binibining Zambales, pet show, fun run, cook fest, fireworks display Must-eats: Dinamulag mangoes are considered to be the sweetest in the world.
4. Giant Lantern Festival When: Mid-December
Where: San Fernando, Pampanga
Highlights: Giant Lantern Competition
Must-eats: The distinct Kapampangan cuisine, nasing biringyi or chicken saffron rice, is only enjoyed during fiestas in Pampanga since the dish is difficult to prepare.
5. Flores de Mayo When: May Where: Nationwide Highlights: Santacruzan Pageant, Holy Cross Novena, pabitin games, teachings and storytelling about Mother Mary (Western Visayas), nightly devotion to statues of Mother Mary (Lipa, Batangas), and Palosebo games. Must-eats: An ubiquitous dish in every Pinoy household, the adobo is deemed as one of the national food in Philippines.
6. Feast of the Black Nazarene When: January 9 Where: Quiapo, Manila
Highlights: Midnight Mass and Traslacion Procession
Must-eats: Street foods are readily available for the tired and hungry devotees of the Black Nazarene, from banana cues, quail eggs, to various types of Pinoy barbeques, and of course, lumpia.
7. Moriones Festival When: Holy Week Where: Marinduque
Highlights: Pabasa, Via Crucis, make your own morion mask
Must-eats: There are many types of bibingka in Marinduque, namely the bibingkang kanin made from glutinous rice; bibingka lalaki which is made from tuba instead of yeast, and bibingka pinahiran, topped with a thick, sweet syrup spread.
8. Ati-Atihan Festival When: January 14-20 Where: Kalibo, Aklan
Highlights: Celebration of the Sto. Niño, Ati-Atihan Parade, tribal group dancing competition, procession of Sto. Niño figurines and images, Aklan products showcase, rosary procession, Sadsad procession, Aklan
Higante Contest, and car & motor show
Must-eats: Coconut-infused dishes make up the majority of Aklan's traditional food. There’s the chicken dishes Binakol nga Manok and Inubaran nga Manok; Linapay which is the Aklanon version of laing; and rice treats, Ibos, Ambueong, and Latik.
9. Sinulog Festival When: January 5-February 2
Where: Cebu
Highlights: Celebration of the Sto. Niño, Sto. Niño Procession, street fair and parties, Sinulog Fluival Parade, Sto. Niño Exhibit, Sinulog Dance, and cultural and variety shows Must-eats: Lechón is a Spanish term that translates to roasted suckling pig. Here in the Philippines, it doesn’t necessarily have to be pork. Anything roasted over coals could be considered Lechón, alas, Cebu is known all over the world for having the best roasted pig.
10. Dinagyang Festival When: January 25-29
Where: Iloilo City
Highlights: Miss Iloilo Dinagyang, Ati Tribe Competition (tribal dance competition), Kasadyahan Cultural Competition, fireworks display, Sadsad Procession, and floats in Parade of Lights
Must-eats: Batchoy is a hearty soup made of pork innards, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock, beef loin, and round noodles. The most authentic version of the dish is found in Iloilo as it originated from the district of La Paz.
11. Panaad Festival When: April 9-15
Where: Bacolod, Negros Occidental Highlights: Rondalla Competition, festival dances competition, sports contests, livestock and dairy fair, agricultural fair, food alley. Must-eats: Inasal is the Filipino variant of roast chicken, that is marinated in calamansi mixture.
12. Kaamulan Festival When: February 12March 9 Where: Malaybalay, Bukidnon
Highlights: Anniversary of Bukidnon's founding, ethnic and street dance competition, Piniliyapan Cultural Show, off-road challenge, invitational Shoot Fest, Bansagen Art Exhibit. Must-eats: Binaki is steamed corn sweet tamale also known as pintos. The unique kakanin made from ground corn mixed with milk, sugar, baking powder, eggs, and salt, is famous for its frog-like shape.
13. MassKara Festival When: October Where: Bacolod, Negros Occidental Highlights: Maskara Parade, Electric MassKara Parade, street dance competition, MassKara Festival Queen Pageant, food festivals, car show and garden shows. Must-eats: Napoleones is considered to be one of the best desserts in Bacolod. The delicacy came from France’s Mille-Feuille, a custard-filled pastry with a sugar crust. 14. Torotot Festival When: December 31 Where: Davao City
Highlights: Massblowing of torotots, torotot-inspired competitions, hip-hop dance competition
Must-eats: The popular seafood dish kinilaw is well enjoyed in Davao. There are different variations such as kinilaw na tuna, kinilaw sushi style, and even sinuglaw which is a mix of sinugba and kinilaw, among others.