The Philippines is a haven not only for nature lovers, thrill-seekers, and adventurers. It is also the perfect place to be if you’re a party-goer! Celebrating even the smallest things in life is the specialty of Filipinos. Got a new job? Passed your recent exams? Leveled-up on your favorite game? Or survived a hellish week at work? All of these things deserve a celebration!
We, Filipinos, are very appreciative even of small and simple things. And we love to show our appreciation by celebrating success. So if you’re wondering why Filipinos are such great party hosts, then look nowhere else but our country’s rich culture and history. More than 42,000 major and minor festivals are being held in the country on a yearly basis. 42,000! It’s like you’ll never run out of festivals to crash each day of the year!
Filipinos take pride in hosting these festivals because it means a lot not only to society but to their religious beliefs as well. Aside from the beautiful ethnic history of the country, we were also widely influenced by Spanish culture. After all, they ruled our country for 333 years! It’s no surprise that we adopted their culture and tradition in every aspect of our lives. Filipino Festivals are celebrated in several ways but one thing’s for sure, it’s full of fun! From a plethora of activities such as grand parades, pageants, singing contests, dance competitions, parlor games, amusement parks, and many more. You’ll surely have lots of things to look forward to.
On top of all these things, what I personally love about festivals is its never-ending supply of delicious food! Of course, the number one best thing about festivals is the strong lineup of tasty treats and delights that hosts are offering to their guests. Every household you visit will surely have something to offer you, and that’s the reason why Filipino festivals are amazingly good.
Out of the 42,000 festivals being held in the country annually, there are some that are considered as the major ones. These are the grandest and most iconic festivals that even tourists from all around the world are excited to attend. Do you know where those festivals are held? That’s right, in Mindanao! Mindanao houses some of the most iconic cultural heritage of the country. Moreover, it is also the hometown of several ethnic groups, making it the host of some of the Philippines’ grandest festivals.
So, what are you waiting for? Join me as we both discover more about the 15 Best Festivals in Mindanao! CHECK THE BEST HOTELS IN MINDANAO HERE
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1. Kadayawan Festival | Davao City
First up, it’s no other than the iconic Kadayawan Festival. This highly anticipated event is considered the grandest festival in Davao City. Why? Well, for one thing, it’s celebrated for the whole month of August! Yup, you read that right! From August 1 to 30 every year, expect to experience one of the best times of your entire life. From aesthetically pleasing floral float parades, dance competitions, singing contests, and pageants, each day that goes by is truly exciting!
Credit: Constantine Agustin / Flickr – Creative Commons
Kadayawan Festival is held to celebrate and give thanks for the season’s bountiful harvests. This is why several households participate and decorate their front doors with abundant supplies of fresh vegetables, fruits, crops, and flowers as a sign of gratitude and respect to a bountiful year. As we can see, Kadayawan Festival is truly treasured by Davaoenos, perfectly resembling the meaning behind the name of the festival itself because “Madayaw” means “treasured”.
Kadayawan Festival also highlights and celebrates the eleven (11) ethnic tribes of Davao namely: Iranun, Ata, Kagan, Bagobo Klata, Maguindanaon, Bagobo Tagabawa, Maranao, Matigsalug, Sama, Obu Manuvu, and Taosug. Each of these tribes have huge contributions to the rich culture of Davao that’s why they are given thanks during the iconic Kadayawan Festival. CHECK THE BEST HOTELS IN DAVAO CITY
Map of Davao City
2. Tuna Festival | General Santos City
Another grand and utterly delicious festival in Mindanao is no other than the Tuna Festival of General Santos City. Coined as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines”, General Santos City or widely known as “GenSan” celebrates the grand Tuna Festival every first week of September. This festival features a plethora of activities all aimed to celebrate everything about tuna. From culinary competitions, exhibits, and fun contests, Tuna Festival offers not only exciting adventures but gastronomic ones as well!
Credit: gensancemcdo.org
Aside from being festive, Tuna Festival also became highly competitive because one of the most anticipated events is the competition between recognized hotels and restaurants to cook their most delicious rendition of a tuna dish. The winner of this competition not only receives a generous cash prize but a strong reputation as well for being the restaurant with the most delicious tuna dish of all.
The Tuna Festival is a week-long celebration so expect to enjoy countless activities that will surely make you love tuna even more! Another highly anticipated event is the Tuna Float which features a parade of aesthetically pleasing floats with impressive designs of tuna flooding all the main thoroughfares of General Santos City. Most importantly, the Tuna Festival also holds the annual Karagatan Awards which recognizes the mighty heroes of GenSan’s fishing industry. CHECK THE BEST HOTELS IN GENSAN
Map of Gen. Santos City
3. Hermosa Festival | Zamboanga
Next on the list is Zamboanga’s most anticipated event that features a month-long celebration to honor Our Lady of Pillar or Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pillar. The iconic Hermosa Festival is created by the Zamboangueños who are loyal devotees of the patron saint. The festival holds countless activities for a month that would surely take your breath away.
The annual festivities are held in the whole month of October. From novenas, singing contests, dance competitions, grand parades, trades fairs, pageants, and many more, these activities will certainly make you fall in love with Zamboanga even more. Probably the most awaited event of the Hermosa Festival is the Regatta. This iconic event features the colorful Vintas of Zamboanga competing in a race. CHECK THE BEST HOTELS IN ZAMBOANGA
READ THE BLOG POST: My Zamboanga Hermosa Festival Experience
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4. F’lomolok Festival | Polomolok
Another grand and possibly one of the youngest festivals in the Philippines is the F’lomolok Festival. This festival is held to commemorate the founding of Polomolok, South Cotabato. Established in September 2009, the F’lomolok Festival holds tons of fun and exciting activities such as the drum & lyre competition, dance competition, singing contests, and the Diwata ng Polomolok Pageant featuring the most beautiful ladies of Polomolok, South Cotabato.
Credit: R.E. Photography
The festival also showcases its abundant local products such as bananas, coconuts, and especially pineapples because one of the world’s largest pineapple plantations can be found in Polomolok, South Cotabato. CHECK THE BEST HOTELS IN POLOMOLOK
5. Bonok-Bonok Festival | Surigao
Held every year on the ninth (9th) of September, the award-winning celebration of the Bonok-Bonok Festival is considered to be one of the most anticipated festivals in Mindanao. Also known as the Maradjaw Kadjaw Festival, the festivities are also held to commemorate the Surigaonons’ patron saint, St. Nicholas whose feast day is held every September 10th.
Credit: Business Mirror
The main highlight of the Bonok-Bonok Festival is the iconic street dance parade featuring the legends and traditional lifestyle of the Mamanwa Tribes. This colorful festival pays homage to their tribal culture by parading across the main thoroughfares of Surigao. CHECK THE BEST HOTELS IN SURIGAO
6. Lanzones Festival | Camiguin
Another mouthwatering festival in Mindanao is held in the province of Camiguin during the third week of October. The annual Lanzones Festival is held to honor the bountiful harvest of the sweetest Lanzones fruit that can only be found in Camiguin. It is said that the sweetest Lanzones fruit ever is found in the municipality of Mambajao, Camiguin that’s why you’ll sometimes hear people shouting “Mambajao” instead of “Lanzones”.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The week-long celebration is highly anticipated by tourists from different parts of the country. Aside from the eye-catching decorations of the Lanzones fruit filling up every corner of the house, what tourists look forward to are the numerous fun and exciting activities surrounding the Lanzones Festival. From the massive trade fair, dance competitions, beauty pageants, and grand parades, you’ll surely love everything about Lanzones even more here in Camiguin during the amazing Lanzones Festival! CHECK THE BEST HOTELS IN CAMIGUIN
7. Inaul Festival | Maguindanao
Next up is another major festival in Mindanao that honors not only the religious heritage of the Filipinos but their cultural heritage as well. The Inaul Festival of Maguindanao is held to commemorate one of Maguindanao’s most important products, the inaul. It’s a hand-woven cloth that’s traditionally used like a malong. The goal of the festival is for the whole country to recognize the inaul which is also considered as a “Bara Bangsa” product. This simply means that the product bears royalty, dignity, and nobility in its name. Moreover, the Inaul Festival also aims to promote that the province of Maguindanao is relatively safe and friendly.
Credit: Daily Tribune
Inaul Festival is one of the most colorful festivals in the country showcasing a massive collection of hand-woven inaul. Of course, there are also tons of other activities like concerts, dance contests, beauty pageants, and float competitions highlighting the colorful inaul products.
8. Kapyaan Festival | Davao Del Sur
Kapyaan Festival is a major festival held to commemorate the foundation of the province of Davao Del Sur particularly the town of Jose Abad Santos. Held every 18th to 20th of February, Kapyaan Festival is also held as a thanksgiving for a year’s worth of abundant and productive harvests where all the 26 barangays of the Jose Abad Santos are actively participating.
Credit: Davao Del Sur
The Jasenos are always eager to make the annual Kapyaan Festival a gigantic celebration where they constantly build up fun and exciting ideas for the grand festival. From the bountiful trade fairs, stallion competitions, the famous Saywew de Delan road dancing, and many more!
9. Kalilangan Festival | General Santos City
From the origin of the name itself, Kalilangan literally translates to festival, festivity, and jubilee. Truly, this major festival is held every 27th of February commemorating the rich and diverse culture of General Santos City or GenSan. Kalilangan Festival is a unique festival because it is celebrated not entirely as a religious celebration but more of the province’s cultural harmony. GenSan is known for its tri-people, the Natives, Muslims, and Christians. Despite their religious differences, all of these groups are perfectly harmonizing within the province making GenSan’s way of life as beautiful as it can be.
Credit: gensancemcdo.org
From then on, GenSan became known for its cultural diversity, hence making it the province’s identity. Therefore, Kalilangan Festival also became the celebration of GenSan’s founding anniversary. As I’ve mentioned, Kalilangan Festival was built on the idea of GenSan’s unique cultural harmony. That’s why the festival highlights countless unique and colorful ethnic rites from the different cultures of the tri-people as well as exciting dance competitions, sports contests, beauty pageants, colorful parades, gastronomic feasts, and the symbolic sharing of gifts between the three different cultures.
10. Higalaay Festival | Cagayan De Oro City
The Higalaay Festival of Cagayan De Oro City is held every month of August to commemorate the feast day of their patron, St. Augustine. Aside from a celebration of thanksgiving, the massive festival is also aimed to promote the economic aspects of the province as well as to position it as a premier tourist destination. Tourists from all over the country are flocking to Cagayan De Oro City to try and take part in its grand celebrations featuring tons of festive events.
Credit: MindaNews
Some of the highly anticipated events of the Higalaay Festival are certainly competitive where you can expect every barangay in the city to go all out. The famous Kumbira Culinary Show is one of the most awaited competitions as it is also considered to be the longest-running culinary showdown in the country. Another sought-after event is the Higalas Parade of Floats and Icons where numerous institutions participate. This colorful event is attended by thousands of Kagay-anons as well as tourists where they are waiting along the road to see and witness the eye-catching float parade.
11. Sibug-Sibug Festival | Zamboanga Sibugay
Next up, the highly anticipated Sibug-Sibug Festival of Zamboanga Sibugay is one of the most awaited events in the province for the whole year. This grand festival is held to commemorate the founding anniversary of Zamboanga Sibugay on the 26th of February. The annual event is a two-week celebration featuring numerous exciting activities highlighting the rich culture and history of the province.
Credit: JeffreyBermudez
Sibug-Sibug Festival features tons of activities such as street dancing, colorful parades, beauty pageants, massive trade fairs, and carnivals. One of the most awaited events during the Sibug-Sibug Festival is the Oysters Grill Event giving the spotlight to one of Zamboanga Sibugay’s major products, oysters. It is said that you can only find the largest and meatiest oysters in Zamboanga Sibugay as it is also the main supplier of oysters inside the country as well as outside in the Asia Pacific region.
12. Balangay Festival | Butuan City
Next on the list is a major festival of the entire country that also serves as one of its icons of tourism and culture. The Balangay Festival of Butuan City, Agusan del Norte commemorates the arrival of our ancestors that shortly became the first settlers in the Philippine Archipelago. The name of the festival is hailed from the colorful boats they were aboard called the Balangay Boats.
Credit: Butuan gov
One of the most awaited events in the Balangay Festival is the grand costume festival featuring the different social ensembles of Butuan’s rich culture and history. These groups stroll around the main thoroughfares of the city showcasing their talents through dancing, singing, and performing. Of course, the Balanghai Parade features the masterful craftsmanship of the people of Butuan as we marvel at the colorful collection of traditional Balangay boats.
13. Kaamulan Festival | Bukidnon
Held in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon from the months of February to March is the grand celebration of the Kaamulan Festival. From the word of the festival’s name itself “amil”, which means “to gather”, the celebration aims to bring together all the tribespeople of Bukidnon to showcase the unparalleled diversity and richness of the province’s culture. Therefore, the famous Kaamulan Festival is widely considered an ethnic festival rather than a religious one.
Credit: KaamulanFestival FB
Aside from the fun and exciting activities depicting the cultural rituals and rites of the ethnic tribes of Manobo, Bukidnon, Higaonon, and many more, the Kaamulan Festival also evolved into something that also promotes the local products and tourism of the province. Some of the most awaited events in the festival include the Garden Show, Food Fest, concerts, adventure races, and the Kaamulan Bazaar featuring tons of Bukidnon’s world-class products and crafts!
14. Lugahait Festival | Misamis Oriental
Lugahait Festival is held every 16th of March to commemorate the founding anniversary of the beautiful municipality of Lugait, Misamis Oriental. This is one of the most anticipated events of the people of Misamis Oriental where the festival is celebrated through a series of fun and exciting activities such as food fests, native street dance competitions, agricultural products showcases, beauty pageants, and many more!
Also known as the home of the tastiest bibingka in the Philippines, expect the festival to feature an extensive display of the rice cake throughout the celebration! That and numerous agricultural products such as coconut, bananas, and other marine products are also stars of the show!
15. Panagtagbo Festival | Tagum City
Finally, the last but not the least is the one and only Panagtagbo Festival of Tagum City. Hailing from the name of the festival itself, Panagtagbo Festival is an impressive celebration of the cultural diversity of Davao Del Norte. Featuring countless cultural aspects of the province, the festival focuses on showcasing the colorful rituals and traditions of the ethnic tribes of Davao Del Sur through a series of lovely competitions such as street dance contests, lovely pageants, food fests, trade fairs, and many more!
Aside from being a celebration of the Tagumeños’ culture, Panagtagbo Festival also commemorates the founding anniversary of Tagum City and it is the melting pot of Davao Del Norte’s business, economy, and tourism.
FAQ: Best Festivals in Mindanao
1. What are some of the top festivals in Mindanao?
- Kadayawan Festival in Davao City: A month-long celebration with colorful floral parades.
- Tuna Festival in General Santos City: A tribute to the city’s renowned tuna industry.
- Hermosa Festival in Zamboanga: Honoring Our Lady of Pillar with month-long festivities.
- Lanzones Festival in Camiguin: Celebrating the harvest of sweet Lanzones fruit.
- Inaul Festival in Maguindanao: Showcasing the traditional hand-woven Inaul cloth.
2. Why is the Kadayawan Festival so special?
The Kadayawan Festival is special because it’s a vibrant celebration of Davao’s bountiful harvests, ethnic tribes, and cultural heritage, lasting the entire month of August.
3. What can I expect at the Tuna Festival?
Expect culinary competitions, fun contests, and a parade showcasing tuna-themed floats. It’s a week-long celebration of everything related to tuna.
4. Is the Hermosa Festival religious?
Yes, the Hermosa Festival is religiously significant as it honors the patron saint, Our Lady of Pillar, with various activities including novenas and parades.
5. What makes the Lanzones Festival unique?
The Lanzones Festival is unique for its focus on the Lanzones fruit, believed to be the sweetest in Camiguin. It includes trade fairs, parades, and beauty pageants.
6. Can visitors participate in these festivals?
Absolutely! Visitors are warmly welcomed and encouraged to participate in the festivities, making it a wonderful way to experience local culture and hospitality.
7. Are these festivals suitable for families with children?
Yes, these festivals are family-friendly with activities and events that cater to all ages, making them great for families to enjoy together.
8. When is the best time to visit Mindanao for these festivals?
The best time depends on the specific festival you want to attend. Generally, festivals are spread throughout the year, so plan according to the festival dates.
9. Do I need to book accommodations in advance?
Yes, it’s advisable to book accommodations well in advance, as these festivals attract a large number of visitors and can lead to fully booked hotels.
10. Are there food and drinks available at these festivals?
Yes, a wide variety of local food and drinks are available, offering a great opportunity to try regional specialties.
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One Comment
Niño Roquel Armario
May 18, 2023 at 3:58 pmIt’s good…