Fiesta Islands: Come celebrate with us!

MANILA, Philippines - There are 627 folk festivals in the Philippines today. That means, on the average, there is at least one festival happening somewhere in the country every single day.

To say Filipinos love to celebrate is an understatement – we celebrate to honor our patron saints, to give thanks for a good harvest, to commemorate the town’s founding anniversary, and practically any other religious or secular milestone. The term Fiesta Islands describing the Philippines is therefore not just promotions hype from the Department of Tourism. Add to that the joie de vivre Filipinos are known for and we have fiestas like no other.

The festival season kicks off to a rousing start in January with three of the country’s biggest and best attended festivals, all in honor of the Sto. Niño (Infant Jesus) – the Kalibo Ati-Atihan Festival, the Sinulog Festival of Cebu and the Iloilo Dinagyang Festival.

The oldest of the three festivals is the Ati-Atihan, which dates back to the 13th century when a group of Malay datus (chieftains) from Borneo were granted settlement in the island of Panay by the native Ati people. It is said that in exchange for land, the datus by Datu Puti gave Ati chieftain Marikudo a golden salakot (hat), brass basins, jewelry and bales of cloth. Both peoples celebrated the land barter with merrymaking and festivities.

The commemoration of the land barter was subsequently infused with a religious flavor when the Spaniards introduced Christianity and added the tribute to the Sto. Niño to the festivities.

The Ati-Atihan festival, which will culminate this year on Jan. 19 with the a street dance parade, is without doubt the most raucous in the country. The celebration reaches fever pitch during the third week of January with unbridled merrymaking and lots of religious processions, community dancing and the street dance competition.

Kalibo is not as big as Cebu or Iloilo so there is a sense of intimacy to the festivities. My favorite is the community dance held in an open court behind the city hall where anyone can participate amidst booths selling beer and fresh oysters. Local residents and tourists link up into a snakelike chain weaving through throngs of other human chains to the beat of local bands. It doesn’t matter which group you join – it’s great fun as long as you’re able to stand the ear-splitting music – some would call it noise! – and contact with thousands of sweating, dancing/moving bodies.

During the last three days of celebration, residents together with local and foreign tourists dance in the streets, accompanied by rhythmic drumbeats and shouting the now famous “Hala bira!” and “Viva Sto. Niño!” It is common practice for revelers to paint their faces with soot and wear outlandish headdresses as a tribute to the native Atis.

The festival culminates with a religious procession followed by the street dance competition participated in by school and barangay groups clad in the most colorful costumes and headdresses. The competition is a dizzying panorama of color, movement and some of the most intricate dance steps and formations.

Simultaneous with the Kalibo Ati-Atihan is the country’s biggest folk and religious festival, the Sinulog of Cebu. Although the worship of the Sto. Niño through a prayer-dance has been a centuries-old practice, the street dance parade and mardi gras started only in 1981 as a local government initiative.

It was named Sinulog from the Visayan word sulog (water current) characterizing the 2-step forward, 1-step backward worship dance. Since then, the festivities have expanded to a month-long series of events that includes exhibitions, arts and sports competitions, parties, beauty pageants and cultural shows.

The magnitude of the religious celebration makes it the biggest cultural and tourism event in the city. Over 200,000 local and foreign tourists descend upon Cebu, with airlines and hotels booked solid, and shopping malls and restaurants filled to over-capacity during the last three days of the festivities.

Based on creative industry studies commissioned by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the P150 million spent by the public and private sectors on all the festival events during the month-long period generate around P5.7 billion worth of economic activities and revenues for the city.

There are two highlights of the festival – the Jan. 18 fluvial and street processions attended by thousands of Sto. Niño devotees and the Jan. 19 dance parade and competition.

The grand parade the city mounts is comparable to none in the Philippines. Around 50 groups from the Visayas and Mindanao participate in the mardi gras around the city, culminating in a final presentation at the Cebu Sports Complex. They compete under one of two categories – the Sinulog-based category or the free interpretation category which allows them more freedom with the music and movements. The day ends with a grand production and fireworks displays in several parts of the city.

A week after the Ati-Atihan and Sinulog festivals, Iloilo City takes the spotlight with the Dinagyang Festival. Established in 1969 as a veneration of the Sto. Niño, the festival has now also evolved into a month-long celebration that includes street dance competitions, beauty contests, pyrolympics, sports events, exhibitions, food festivals, street parties and other merrymaking activities.

The climax of the festival is the Dinagyang Ati Contest which takes place this year on Jan. 26. Around 12 groups called tribus (tribes) representing various communities and schools participate in the dance showdown.

The Dinagyang dance style is quite distinct from those of other festivals in the country. While it is patterned after the ati movements, the dance has evolved a unique style that mesmerizes the audience for its energy, crispness and precision. The production values are equally stunning, with impressive sets and props, colorful costumes and heart-thumping percussion music.

The success of these three festivals lies not only in the local residents’ deep devotion to the Sto. Niño but in the manner by which there is a confluence of support from and participation of the local government, the private sector, the Department of Tourism, the business community and the educational institutions.

The professional planning and organization provided by the Kalibo Sto. Niño Ati-Atihan Foundation, the Sinulog Foundation and the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation are also keys to the success of the festivals and have provided the continuity to the annual celebration beyond the politics of the times.

So if you’ve never experienced the Ati-Atihan, Sinulog or Dinagyang, now is the time to head over to Kalibo, Cebu and Iloilo for three unique, exciting and unforgettable fiestas that celebrate the Filipino spirit, faith and heritage.

We guarantee – you’ll never think of festivals the same way again after you’ve experienced festivals in our islands!