There are a lot of things to see in the Philippines. Aside from the beautiful and picture-perfect sceneries, the country is also packed with joyful and explicit events. As a matter of fact, festivals are just a few of the activities that are held during feasts.
In the Philippines, grand Philippine festivals are celebrated as an attribute to their patron saints. Street dancing and energetic voices of the people signifies that festivals are heated. In no particular order, here are the top three biggest and splendid festivals in the Philippines that a local citizen or foreign tourist should not miss.
3. Ati-atihan Festival
Ati-atihan is one exciting festival that takes place on January 16 to 22 in Kalibo, Aklan. It is held annually in honor of Sto. Niño. The participants imitates the Aetas and perform dances together with the beat of tribal drums. Simultaneously, they chant the “Hala Bira”.
2. Sinulog Festival
The Queen City of the South, Cebu, also has the grandest festival namely the Sinulog. It is held every third week of the January in commemoration of Sto. Niño. During the event, the people do parades and street dancing with the rythym coming from the drums and trumpets. In addition to this, Cebu also held smaller versions of the Sinulog Festival in various parts of the province.
1. Masskara Festival
One of the prides of Bacolod City is the Masskara Festival. People are dressed in colorful costumes with happy and well-decorated masks. It is held every third weekend of October which is nearest to October 19 as an expression of thanks for the blessings the people received.
The term masskara comes from two words: ‘mass’ and ‘kara’. Mass means multitude or many while kara is face. When joined together, multitude of smiling faces.
The grand Philippine festivals are held not merely for the purpose of enjoyment of the people. It is done as an expression of gratitude to the abundant graces that the Filipino people received. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that these celebrations bring forth Filipinos together and show to the world that the Filipino culture is truly rich and colorful.
Image Credit : Masskara Festival – Bacolod City by Jeff Pioquinto, SJ
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