Philippine Festivals

Fiestas are part of the Filipino culture. Most of them reflect the country’s religious heritage. No matter which province in the Philippines you visit, you’re bound to come across some sort of festival or another showcasing the best that that particular area has to offer.

Feast of the Black Nazarene

This is one yearly fiesta that attracts millions of people from all over the Philippines. Devotees of the Black Nazarene head to Quiapo in Manila every January 9 to pay tribute and take part in the procession as the life-size statue of the Black Nazarene is paraded along the streets of Manila before it goes back to the Quiapo Church where it is housed. The 400 year old image has been associated with a number of miracles and many people believe that touching even so much as the carriage that holds the statue will give them blessings for the coming year.

Panagbenga

The flower season in Baguio City creates the perfect setting for the yearly flower festival. This is actually a month-long event with exhibits and city activities happening every weekend. The culmination of the festival, however, is held on the fourth week of February. The flower parade happening on that weekend always draws a crowd of guests from the lowlands.

Flores de Mayo

Come the month of May, practically every province in the Philippines celebrates Flores de Mayo. This marks the beginning of the rainy season although it also means that the flowers are beginning to bloom again after a long dry spell. The most notable attraction of the festival is every town’s Santacruzan. This is a pageant parade of the most beautiful ladies in the town. Every year, ladies don their best Filipiniana-inspired gowns and walk along the streets under bamboo arcs that are decorated with fresh flowers.