Fiesta and Events in Philippines

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Fiesta and Events

In all fronts of national life, this seems to be an exciting year for the Philippines. In the realm of government, the call for a stronger polity is seen as a step forward to focus on good governance. In economics, the administration’s shift from a macroeconomics policy to the microeconomics side is a welcome boost to the small and medium enterprises. In peace and order, the continued military support that US is extending has helped in combating insurgency and thwarting terrorist build-up.
The tourism sector greatly benefits from these positive developments. With bitter politicking getting the thumbs-down, local government units can concentrate on working on resources to enhance tourism in their respective jurisdictions. The focus on small and medium enterprises will create more entrepreneurial activities for low-income families living in high-tourist traffic areas. A peaceful and orderly society is always conducive to attracting more tourists who won’t have to worry about kidnappings and bomb threats.
With a re-invigorated Philippines, Filipinos and foreign visitors alike can look forward to a fantastic year. The archipelagic nation has an amusing concoction of festivals, celebrations and parties in all its 7,107 islands that an article in an international publication called the Philippines a one big carnival of sorts.

A revelry of merry-making
Indeed, the calendar of Philippine festivities is an exhilarating collection of revelries and special events. Every month offers various celebrations on every town and city. And the myriad of activities available is an eclectic array: from awe-inspiring fluvial processions and grand street merry-makings to thrilling whale shark watching and trekking along majestic countryscapes.
The Filipino penchance for the grand and the colorful may have been due to the intermingling of lively pagan rituals and fiery Spanish customs. This can be seen in festivals like the Ati-Atihan fiesta whose variants are scattered all over the country. Last month, Aklanons staged their annual Ati-Atihan known the world over. It’s a celebration in honor of Sto. Niño in which revelers in black paint and colorful costumes take it to the streets and dance uninhibitedly to the drum beats.
Festivals dedicated to the boy Jesus is common throughout the country like the Sinulog festival in Cebu also held every January and the Sto. Niño Festival in Hagonoy, Bulacan on the third week of February. Other similar festivals which feature colorful masks and dancing are the Pintados Festival in Tacloban City, Leyte held every June and the Masskara Festival of Bacolod held every October.
The grotesque and the holy
As a largely Catholic country, religious celebrations no doubt make up more than half of all festivals with the many town fiestas usually centered on a patron saint. But people from all faiths can enjoy these events as most activities tend to have non-sectarian color like the traditional palo sebo in which a tall bamboo pole is greased up and boys attempt to climb up to reach for the prize money. And foreigners have been known to troop to the banks of Naga river in Bicol to witness the maddening crowd participating in the fluvial parade of Our Lady of Peñafrancia held every September.
Of course, the Semana Santa or Holy Week in April should not be forgotten. This weeklong commemoration of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, culminating in the Senaculo at Good Friday, is a major event in the country however somber. Probably the most grotesque event is the procession in Pampanga where men walk under the scorching sun as they lash their bare backs with whips as a symbolic gesture for the atonement of their sins.

The Moriones Festival in Marinduque province is an engaging re-enactment of the story of Longinus. The entire towns of Boac, Mogpog and Gasan are virtually converted into huge stages for the masked soldiers and colorfully garbed centurions. In Leyte, native carabaos and horses are rounded up in a traditional joust called Turugpo ha Camansi held during Black Saturdays.
Sizzling hot fun
Events of a secular nature also abound. With the summer season just around the corner, adventurers can expect some hard-hitting and knuckle-busting actions in major sports gatherings. On the second Sunday of March, outriggers race across the strait between Iloilo and Guimaras Island. Called Paraw Regatta, sailing enthusiasts and sports photographers witness colorful paraws “fly” above the waves.
As an archipelago, the country offers various watersports to local and foreign thrill-seekers. There’s the White Water River Rafting Competition at the rapids of Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao held every third week of March and the Siargo International Surfing Cup at Siargo Island held every October. If a visitor gets tired of the water, the mountains and the caves offer a different kind of high.
The Mt. Apo Eco-Challenge, organized by the Department of Tourism Region 12 and held every October 23, is a rock climbing event at the country’s tallest peak. At Cagayan, a Caving and Mountaineering Congress gathers trekkers every March to explore a few of the 300 cave systems in the area. In the windy fields of Cebu, kite flyers display their gigantic masterpieces at the biggest competition called Bears in Flight sponsored by a multinational milk company. Outdoor lovers won’t have difficulty looking for activities they can participate in during summer.