Mapeh (Philippine Festivals)

• Fiesta


  A big part of Filipino culture, each city and barrios has at least one local festival which is the feast of its patron saint
• Christmas season


  The major and most elaborate festival of all, much awaited and celebrated with decorations that show fun-loving side of Filipinos
• Ati-atihan festival


  • From Kalibo Aklan, falls on the third week of January
  • Honors the 13th century land deal between 10 migrating Borean chieftains and indigenous Ati King Marikudo
  • Also honors the town patron, Sto. Nino
• Ati-atihan festival


  • Celebrants paint their faces in different ways and are dressed in the most exceptional costumes
  • Familiar battle cry "Viva, Sto Nino!" is repeatedly shouted
  • Constant, rhythmic pounding of drums on the street, inviting everyone to shuttle their feet, shake their heads and wave their hands
  • Dancing on the rhythm of the drums make this festival comparable with the Rio Carnival in Brazil
• Kadayawan festival


  • Held in the city of Davao, celebrated during the third week of August
  • Kadayawan is derived from the prehistoric word madayaw, a warm and friendly greetings used to explain a thing that is valuable, superior, beautiful, good or profitable
  • Kadayawan in the Mandaya dialect means anything that bring fortune, celebration of life, thanksgiving for the gift of nature, the wealth of culture, bounties harvest and serenity of living
  • Ritual serves as their thanksgiving to the gods particularly to Manama, the Supreme Being
• Kadayawan festival

  • Fruits, flowers, vegetables, rice and corn grains are displayed on mats as villagers give their respect and thanks for the year's abundance
  • Singing, dancing and offering to their divine protectors are highlights of this rituals
• Moriones festival


  • A folk-religious event held annually during Holy Week in Marinduque
  • Word morion refers to the visor of the helmet that is associated with the armor of Roman soldiers
  • Word moriones refers to local inhabitants who dress up in the costumes and masks of Roman soldiers during Biblical times
  • These costumed locals are the farmers and fishermen who engage in the street theatre as form of penitence
  • For seven days-from holy Monday to easter Sunday – the masked and customed Moriones march around town as a re-enactment of the seach for Longinus, Roman centurion who pierced the side of the crucified Christ
• Sinulog festival

  • One of the grandest, most distinguished and most colorful festivals in the Philippines
  • Held each year also on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Nino or the child Jesus
  • It is similar to the Ati-atihan of Kalibo
  • It is fundamentally a dance ritual which remembers the Filipino people's pagan past and their recognition of Christianity
  • The festival features some of the country's most colorful displays of ceremony and pageantry: participants clothed in bright-colored costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums and native songs
• Ibalong festival


  • Celebrated in the City of Legaspi in Albay during the second week of October and recalls the region's early beginnings
  • Special attraction is a costume and mask parade representing Bicol's ancient heroes such as Baltog, Handiong and Bantong; villians
• Sublian festival


  • A two week long celebration which culminates on the 23rd of July
  • Rooted in the Batanguenos devotion to the town's patron: the Holy Cross in Bauan and Agoncillo and the Sto. Nino in Batangas city
  • This religious devotion is translated from an indigenous dance in Batangas, Subli
  • Traditionally performed to the accompaniment of drums and chanting, the Subli praises the patron in a combination of poetry, movement and music