Religious Festivals in the Philippines - ARTS

• Dinagyang Festival – Iloilo City

  Dinagyang is a Hiligaynon word that means “merrymaking.” Just like the Sinulog and Ati-Atihan Festivals, Dinagyang is one of the many religious festivals in the Philippines. It is being celebrated in honor of the feast of the Santo Niño and the pact between the Datus and locals. Every 4th Sunday of January, the festival transforms Iloilo City into a massive street party with overflowing drinks and food.
• Pahiyas Festival


  One of the most colorful and vibrant festivals in the Philippines
• Pahiyas Festival


  • Farmers used to offer their harvests at the foot of Mount Banahaw
  • Place of origin is Quezon Province
  • Annual celebration to pay homage to San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, for a bountiful harvest
• Kipings


  A traditional Filipino leaf-shaped wafer made from glutinous rice
• Houses are decorated with the town's best agricultural products, mostly colorful Kipings
• Higantes Festival – Angono, Rizal

  Angono, Rizal is known as the “Art Capital of the Philippines.” Aside from this, the town is also famous for its Higantes Festival. Based on the Angono folklore, the “Higantes” or paper-mache/papier-mache giants were done by locals as a form of protest during the Spanish colonization. Now, these paper-mache giants play the part of one of the most unique festivals in the Philippines. Higantes Festival is celebrated every fourth week of November in Angono, Rizal to honor San Clemente, the town’s patron saint.
• Sinigayan Festival – Sagay City, Negros Occidental

  Sinigayan Festival is an annual thanksgiving in honor of St. Joseph and highlights the best of Sagay City. Sagay has a rich coastal and marine resources, and it is reflected in the Sinigayan Festival where the bounties of the sea are the highlights of the celebration. The festival is usually held every third week of March with food festival, agri-aqua festival, and art cultural festival
• Lechon Festival – Batangas

  Parada ng Lechon is held every 24th of June in Batangas in honor of St. John the Baptist. Lechon (roasted pig) is always present on special Filipino occasions, especially during fiestas. During this festival, lechons are paraded dressed in fun characters, while the whole town is participating in a water splashing tradition
• Obando Fertility Dance Festival

  Held in the town of Bulacan every month of May
• Obando Festivity


  • Tradition and culture are rooted in strong belief and hope
  • Hundreds and thousands of couples who would like to bear children would go here and perform the traditional dancing on the street
  • Fertility dance is well-known not only in the country but also in the international arena
  • Parents who are gifted with children vow to dedicate their lives to making sure that the children will grow up as moral and God-fearing individuals
• Saints honored in Obando Festival

  • San Pascual Baylon (Saint Paschal Baylon)
  • Santa Clara (Saint Clare of Assisi)
  • Our Lady of Salambào
• The three saints became the saints for the town in relevance to the original rituals by the previous people of Obando