The Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in January in honor of the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus), Held on the third Sunday, in the town of Kalibo Philippines in the island of Panay originally came from Batan, Aklan, then adopted later by some neighboring towns. The name Ati-Atihan means “to be like Atis” or “to make believe Atis”, the local name for the Aeta aborigines who first settled in Panay Island and other parts of the archipelago.

Date: Third Sunday of January Location: Cebu City

On the third weekend of January, Cebu City serves its own festival dish to rival any the world over. This festival, fondly known as Sinulog, brings together gifted residents of the city and the provinces beyond to showcase their talent through pageantry, street dancing, sports, and other acts. Millions of people from the Philippines and the rest of the world attend this festival every year, putting it right there at the top with the other most attended festivals in the world. Added to this kaleidoscope parade are numerous concerts that host Philippines’ biggest and most exciting raves, making Cebu a haven for fun-loving partygoers.

Date: Fourth Sunday of January Location: Iloilo City

On the fourth weekend of January, all roads lead to Iloilo City for an annual street party that brings the whole city to a standstill. Streets are usually closed during this festival, with bands playing in every corner and people enjoying endless food and drinks. There are towering boom boxes everywhere. Different tribes come together in this festival, with each making entertaining presentations. There are highly competitive performances from different high schools, too. Once a simple celebration of Child Jesus, this festivity has become such a force that it has received several awards in the past, one of them for Best Tourism Event of the Philippines from Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines.

Date: February 1 – March 4

Location: Baguio City

February ushers in the “season of blooming.” This festival is a treat by Baguio City, one whose charm especially lies in its flora and fauna theme. Expect beautiful parades of floral floats in the city, as well as children adorned as flora and fauna. Feast your eyes on Session Road in Bloom where the street is closed to allow for gorgeous flower carts, beautiful street dancing, and outdoor cafes. It’s a refreshing celebration for those coming from the frenzy of January celebrations.

Date: April 2-7 Location: Marinduque Province

Come Holy Week in the Philippines, people flock to Marinduque for a weeklong celebration of St. Longinus. Scores of people wear helmets to reenact the search of the saint by fellow centurions once he has converted to Christianity. This is the same centurion who pierced Jesus’ side with a lance. The locals reenact the hunt theatrically, with one of the locals playing the saint while the rest, dressed as centurions, search for him.

Date: May 14-15 Location: Lucban Quezon

In May, Lucban treats people to a unique harvest festival known as the Pahiyas. Residents of the area colorfully decorate their homes with farm produces. The display is done competitively, which adds to the glamor of the affair. Come out with a basket and pick the produce from the walls without paying if you wish. All those lush vegetables and fruits mentioned on the Bahay Kubo song are usually on display, especially the sigarilyas and talong.

Dates: Every 2nd week of February Location: Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is back and everyone is excited about it. The 4-day festival, which previously held in Pampanga has a new venue. The festival features activities to do with flying, skydiving, paragliding and stunning hot air balloons among others. This festival is Asia’s longest-running event and will bring together aviators and tourists from around the world.

Date May 22

Manggahan Festival is a month long celebration of Guimaras’ rich culture, and their feast of thanksgiving for having bestowed a rich land where delicious mangoes are being grown. Originally, it was just a week-long celebration of Guimaras as an independent province since May 22, 1992, but through the years, with all the success that the province has attained, Manggahan Festival has evolved to a more vibrant and fun- filled month long event.

Date June 29

Pintados-Kasadayan Festival is another religious celebration in the name of the Santo Niño held in Tacloban City. It showcases the rich culture and colourful history of the province of Leyte. The dancers paint their faces and bodies with vibrant colours of blue and green to depict Leyte’s ancestral people. Some dancers are also painted with designs that look like armour to represent the warriors that lived in Leyte long ago.

The folk dances they perform portray the many traditions people of Leyte practised before the Spanish era. Among these is the worship of idols, indigenous music, and epic stories, to name a few. The term, pintados, is derived from what the tattoed native warriors of Leyte were once called, while kasadayan means merriment in the Visayan tongue.

Date - April

PASALAMAT FESTIVAL

Annual festival held near the end of April to offer thanksgiving to the god of agriculture who legend has it dwells inside Mount Canlaon, a volcano that lies several kilometers to the east of La Carlota City. The festival typically lasts about five days and culminates in a float parade with street dancing that is known for its many dancers in flamboyant costumes.

Date June 15

The Pinyasan or Pineapple Festival is celebrated yearly in the town of Daet, Camarines Norte in the Bicol Region. The festival is celebrated from June 15 to 24 which coincides with the feast of the town’s patron saint, Saint John the Baptist.

The 10-day festival showcases the primary agri-product of the province of Camarines Norte, known as the Queen Formosa Pineapple. The Formosa pineapple has a unique sweetness and is considered the sweetest amongst all kinds of pineapple. It is given out for free and cooked into different food products during the Pinyasan or Pineapple Festival.