Contemporary Philippine Arts from Different Regions: recreationally as part of an ensemble

and to communicate with spirits during house blessings.

National Capital Region

Lavandero Festival – (Feb 1- 6) The unique festival

focused on the city’s ancient tradition of washing
clothes in the once clean and clear waters of the Pasig
River. Amusingly, focal point of the festival is the men
participants washing clothes instead of women.

CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region)

 Kalaleng or Tongali(nose flute)

REGION 1 (Ilocos Region)
-A kalaleng is a nose flute made from bamboo from
the Philippines  The Magdadaran Talip Festival of Carasi

-Usually around two feet in length a kalaleng has holes -A celebration of barangays Carasi, Dumalneg and
cut in the side, to be stopped by the fingers producing Nueva Era in Adams, Ilocos Norte.
the notes. The player closes one nostril with a bit
-It aims to commemorate the ancient peace pact that
of cotton, then forces the air from the other into a small
has brought lasting peace between ethnic tribes in the
hole cut in the end of the tube. This instrument is found
province of Ilocos Norte. It is also celebrated to enhance
mostly in the northern Philippines and is popular with
fellowship and stronger ties among the tribes and
all the native mountain population of the area. It is a
Ilocanos intermingling with them.
usually decorated with etched patterns.

-The instrument is popular with men and is often used

in courting.

 Tongatong

-is a percussion instrument made of various lengths  Oasiwas

of bamboo, which is found in the Kalinga province of
the Philippines.It is played by hitting it against the earth.
-When an entire set of Tongatong is played in
interloping rhythm and prolonged with the
tribal chanting, it could put the audience and the
dancers in a trance
-Traditionally, tongatongs are used by the people of
Kalinga to communicate with spirits,particularly as part
of healing rituals.In modern times, they are also played
-A dance in which an oil lamp is balanced on the
dancer's head as he swings around lighted lamps
wrapped in porous cloth or fishnet. The name of the
dance comes from the Pangasinense word for swinging.
-The dance is performed by fishermen of Lingayen when
celebrating a good catch. It is accompanied by waltz-like
music.
REGION 2 (Cagayan Valley)
 Palu-Palo Festival
-This is a cultural presentation of the municipality of
Basco, Batanes, showcasing their ethnic group’’s rugged
yet storied existence.
-Palu-palo means sticks or arnis that were used by the
native Ivatans to fight the forces of the colonizers such
as Spaniards and the Dutch.
-The natives wear the traditional suit made of
indigenous materials from the bark of trees which were
flattened.
 Sambali festival
-The Sambali or Piat Sambali Festival is celebrated
every year in Piat, Cagayan from June 23 to July 2. A
spectacle of color, form and movement and songs is to
be expected in this celebration, all brought about
centuries-old cultural tradition
-The Sambali festival originated from the Sambali dance
which is a war dance of the Itawis tribe of Cagayan that
was converted to Christianity through the intercession
of the Lady of Piat. It was revived in 1989 with the belief
that it would promote the identity of the people of Piat,
as well as strengthen unity and harmony among its
people. Since then, it has been an annual event for the
residents of Piat.
REGION 3 (Central Luzon)
 Suman Festival
-A weeklong celebration marked by trade exhibits, fairs
and competitions capped by the Search for Ms. Aurora.
-Suman(súmahn) is the filipino steamed rice cake. it
comes in as many different forms as there are
provinces, but the basic recipe is waxy (sweet) rice
wrapped in leaves, then cooked.
-The biggest and grandest of all feasts in Aurora is a
parade of floats uniquely designed. Main streets and
homes are decked with suman, a native delicacy.
 Pawikan festival
-The Pawikan Festival is held yearly at the Pawikan
Conservation Center in Morong, Bataan. The main
activity here is the releasing of the baby pawikan, which
are hatched in the conservation center.
-Every year, during the festivities, they invite visitors
and thousands of students from the provinces to
promote awareness and also be treated to some street
dancing, sand sculptures, a showcase of local products,
and witnessing how the hatchlings go back to the sea.
REGION 4-A (CALABARZON)
 Kalayaan Festival
-Kalayaan festival, as the name suggests, is a celebration
of Philippine Independence.
-Kalayaan Festival is a 2 week-long, province-wide event
held annually from May 28 to June 12.
The festival was came to life in 2005 with various
programs including street dancing, float parade, beauty
pageant and trade fair.
-The Kalayaan Festival aims to showcase a new way of
experiencing our history and will hold the promise of
adventure and discovery of our glorious past with great
pride and enthusiasm.
 Balsa Festival
-Every year on June 24, Lian celebrates its town fiesta as
with the celebration of the birthdate of Saint John The
Baptist.
-A festival that centerpieces the Balsa as a way of
relaxation by the Matabungkay Beach. The celebration
is culminated by a race and decorating contest for the
Balsa. The festival is spearheaded by the DOT and the
private sector headed by the Matabungkay Beach
Resort and Hotel.
MIMAROPA Region
 Malasimbo Festival
-The festival is named after a supposedly mystical
mountain in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. The first
edition was held in 2011 and has been held there
annually since then.
-Malasimbo is also promoting the visual arts, through
exhibits and installations from established and up-and-
coming artists, including Gus Albor, Billy Bonnevie,
Agnes Arellano, Kawayan De Guia, Niccolo Jose, Risa
Recio and many others. Some of the sculptures and
installations from previous years are still at the venue
for people to check out.
-The festival also organizes heritage workshops and
traditional performances from indigenous tribes,
including the T’Bolis of South Cotabato. Part of the
proceeds from the festival also contributes to efforts to
preserve the traditional language and poetry of the
Mangyans.
-Upholds sustain eco cultural development and the
preservation of the Indigenous culture and heritage of
the Mangyan tribes of Mindoro.
 Moriones Festival
-An annual festival held on Holy Week on the island
of Marinduque, Philippines. The "Moriones" are men
and women in costumes and masks replicating the garb
of biblical Roman soldiers as interpreted by local folks.
The Moriones or Moryonan tradition has inspired the
creation of other festivals in the Philippines where
cultural practices or folk history is turned into street
festivals.
-One of the most colorful festivals celebrated in the
island of Marinduque is the Moriones Festival.
Moriones, on the other hand, refers to the masked and
costumed penitents who march around the town for
seven days searching for Longinus. This week-long
celebration starts on Holy Monday and culminates on
Easter Sunday when the story of Longinus is reenacted
in pantomime. This is a folk-religious festival that re-
enacts the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who
was blind in one eye.
-Legend has it that Longinus pierced the side of the
crucified Christ. The blood that spurted forth touched
his blind eye and fully restored his sight. This miracle
convertedLonginus to Christianity and earned the ire of
his fellow centurions. The re-enactment reaches its
climax when Longinus is caught and beheaded.
REGION V (Bicol Region)
 Penafrañcia Festival
-The feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is celebrated on
the third Saturday of September in Naga City, Bicol. The
feast day is preceded by a novena, nine days of prayer,
in honor of the Virgin. On the first day, the image of the
Virgin, a copy of the Madonna in Peñafrancia, Spain, is
brought from its shrine to the Naga Cathedral where
the novena is held. On the last day, the image is
returned to her shrine following the Naga River route.
The colorful evening procession is lit by thousands of
candles from devotees in boats escorting the image.
When the barge reaches its destination, the devotees
shout "Viva la Virgen" (Long live the Virgin!) and the
image is brought back in a procession to the cathedral.
-According to locals, a Spanish government official from
Peñafrancia, Spain, settled with his family in Cavite in
1712. One day, his daughter fell ill and the family
prayed for her recovery to the famous Madonna of
Peñafrancia, a picture of whom was in their possession.
When the daughter recovered, the father vowed to
build a chapel in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in
Manila. However, since he was being detained in Nueva
Caceras, he built the chapel in that city, now known as
Naga, instead.
-The famous Madonna is believed to have miraculous
powers. On her feast day, pilgrims gather at her shrine
to pay her homage for favors received.
 Kasanggayahan Festival
-The Kasanggayahan Festival, which is listed by the
Department of Tourism as one of the annual Philippine
Festivals, is celebrated with a series of cultural,
historical, religious, agro-industrial and economic
activities, showcasing Sorsogon as abundant agricultural
products, particularly food and decorative items from
the versatile Pili tree, which is indigenous to the
province.
=The word Kasanggayahan is one of the local words that
could mean anything, from kagandahan to kasiyahan,
the word only conveys one thing; a positive and
optimistic celebration of life in peaceful Sorsogon. It is
celebrated every year to mark the separation of
Sorsogon from Albay more than a hundred years ago.
-The Festival is highlighted by the inimitable Pantomina
sa Tinampo. Pantomina, a traditional Bikol dance, is
known as a dance of love and courtship actually the
dance of the doves or sinalampati ( salampati is Bikol
for dove), as it was then known before the coming of
the Spanish colonizers.The Pantomina, or pantomime,
imitates, in dance, the courtship and lovemaking of the
doves. But it is only in Sorsogon where this is danced in
the streets, or tinampo, by droves of eager dancers
wearing colorful native attire, as they cajole and coax
tourists and onlookers to join in the fun and
merrymaking, partake of tuba, the native coconut wine,
and lechon, or roast pig, carried by dancers as they
swing and sway and do their love dance down the
streets of Sorsogon.

 Manggahan Festival

-An identity festival commemorating the anniversary of

the province as being an independent province. It is
held every 22nd day of May which depicts the cultural
heritage of the province and also to emphasize the
promotion of Guimaras as the "Mango Country of
Western Visayas". It is a week long celebration that
REGION VI (Western Visayas)
showcases the products of the province, its cuisine and
 Pintaflores Festival services.

-Pintaflores festival is an annual event that is held in the
beautiful city of San Carlos, in Negros Occidental. The
festival is marked every 5th November.
-The festival’s name is unique, one that piques the
interest of many a traveller. This name is a derivation of
the Spanish word ‘pinta’ which loosely translates to
tattoos, and ‘flores’ which means flowers. This festival,
in essence, is all about a fusion of arts and nature,
making for a very interesting theme.
-Manggahan Festival is a month long celebration of
Guimaras’ rich culture, and their feast of thanksgiving
for having bestowed a rich land where delicious
mangoes are being grown. Manggahan Festival is a
month long celebration of Guimaras’ rich culture, and
their feast of thanksgiving for having bestowed a rich
land where delicious mangoes are being grown.

-The storyline behind Pintaflores revolves around the

adversity and victory of a princess who took the
challenge to go to unexplored lands. Legend has it that
Princess Nabingka who hailed from Cebu City, chose to
take the journey from the city to a close island
REGION VII (Central Visayas)
alongside members of her royal fraternity. The region
was named after the princess, and is today known as  Sandugo Festival
San Carlos City.
-Sandugo Festival is a yearly historical event that takes
place every year on the month of March, in the island of
Bohol. This festival honors the celebration of a local
Philippine leader Datu Sikatuna's blood compact
and association or treaty of friendship with the Spanish
king conquistador, Captain General Miguel López de
Legazpi in March 16, 1565.
 -The Sandugo treaty is called a blood compact because
the participants each drink a small amount of the
other's blood. ("Dugo" means blood in the Visayan
language.) This was a traditional way to formalize
treaties of friendship in the Philippines. Magellan
himself took part in several of these ceremonies before
attacking Mactan Island.
 Guihulugan Festival
-Guihulugan Festival of Guihulngan is usually
celebrated on the 25th of May. This festival is also
referred to as the Cara-Bell Festival because of a story
about a bell that saved the lives of the natives.
-The gruesome incident in the 19th Century when the
Philippines was a colony of Spain. Men, women and
children were said to be captured, beheaded and
thrown into the sea, now known as Tañon Strait, by the
Moros. Other accounts claim that the Moros dropped a
bell into the sea when they found out that it was used
by the lookout to warn the townsfolk of their coming.
Since that time, the place has been called
“GUIHULUGAN” which means, “Place where a thing was
dropped”. But in the Spanish writing, “U” and “N” are
similar, which is why it became commonly written and
known as GUIHULNGAN.
REGION VIII (Eastern Visayas)
 Tinikling
-This is the most popular and best known of the
Philippine dances and honored as the Philippine
national dance. The dance imitates the movement of
the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run
over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice
farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary
grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between
large bamboo poles. Tinikling means "bamboo dance" in
English.
-Considered as one of the oldest dances from the
Philippines, this dance was originated in the islands of
Leyte in the Visayan Islands.
 Pasaka Festival
-is a yearly town festival held at Tanauan, Poblacion
from the 14th to the 16th of August, commencing at
Canramos on the 14th, Licud on the 15th and
culminating in San Roque on the 16th.
-During the 15th of August there is a big festivity held at
the town center, composed of two parts, the ritual
presentation and the street dancing parade. It is has
three categories, the junior (elementary) division, the
senior (High School) division and the Merry Makers.
They dressed in colorful costumes performing dances
and routines that follows a street parade around the
municipality. The festival is called "Pasaka" which is a
waray word meaning invitation to progress, health, and
luck for the inhabitants for the coming year.
-Pasaka Festival is a socio-cultural presentation
depicting a people paying homage to the town's
Patronage, Our Lady of Assumption as she is assumed
into Heaven. It is also an act of thanksgiving for the
blessings receives and a way of welcoming the visitors
into the homes of the Tanauananons.
REGION IX (Zamboanga Peninsula)  Hudyaka Festival

-A week long celebration from May 29 to June 7, show

 Hermosa Festival
-Every October the scenic city of Zamboanga, as the
"City of Flowers", celebrates its grand annual
Zamboanga Hermosa Festival or the popularly known as
Fiesta Pilar with 12 days and nights of events and
celebrations. The beautiful city of Zamboanga welcomes
thousands to the region's biggest, most extravagant
celebration of the year.
window of Zamboanga del Norte’s best, agri-tourism
booth, costume, of the fair ladies, street dancing and
face off participated in by the different municipalities of
the province.
-The celebration centers in the historic Shrine City of
Dapitan where National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal lived in exile
for over four years in the early 1800s.

-The two day celebrations are mainly in honor of the

miraculous image of Our Lady of the Pilar Nuestra
Señora del Pilar de Zaragosa, which is also commonly
known as the “Fiesta Pilar” at the legendary Fort Pila
who has a special fiesta in October. The people of
Zamboanga passionately believe that the lady has REGION X (Northern Mindanao)
served as their unifying cultural and historical symbol.
 Lubi-Lubi Festival
-In tribute of her feast day, Zamboanga displays its
loyalty and enthusiasm with a nine-night procession, -Sayaw “Lubi-Lubi” (coconut dance) is an indigenous fun
the event includes live music, cultural performances; dance (street parade) utilizing the city’s abundant coco
street parades, fireworks displays and one of the most plants and materials.
amazing aspects of the festivities include a wonderful
-It is a celebrations of peace, love and unity among the
regatta with old sailing ships and yachts sporting red,
Gingoognons done every May 22nd to pay honomage to
yellow and other brightly colored sails. There are also
the local patroness Sta. Rita de Cascia on her annual
art exhibitions and colorful flower shows displaying the
feast day. It involves the city’s rural and urban
botanical wonders of Mindanao's tropical vegetations.
barangays.
(Watch out for the orchids, which are particularly
striking). 'Hermosa', which means beautiful, is an
appropriate term for this visually dazzling event. This
festival runs from October 1 to 12.
 -The term “Kadayawan” is derived from the Mandaya
word “madayaw”, a greeting used to explain a thing
that is good, valuable, superior, or beautiful.

-It is a week-long celebration and thanksgiving for

nature’s harvest. During this time, locals and tourists
flock the streets of the city to witness major events such
as the Indak-Indak sa Dalan and Floral Float Parade.

 Higalaay Festival

-Cagayan de Oro's annual fiesta celebration, popularly

known as Higalaay Festival, is a week-long festivity filled
with a series of colorful, culturally-rich and fun-filled
core events that culminate on the 28th of August , the
feast day of the city's patron saint, St. Augustine.
-The celebration has grown not only as the customary
day of thanksgiving but also as a rallying point for a
campaign to promote Cagayan de Oro City and the
surrounding areas globally as an investment and
tourism destination.
 Pasko Fiesta sa Davao
-Filipinos are known to celebrate the longest Christmas
holiday season in the world, and Davao is no different.
For an entire month, the city beats with exciting festive
and competitive Christmas activities for Pasko Fiesta sa
Davao.
-During this season, the city is filled with colorful
lightings and array of decorations. There’s also a series
of competitive performances to showcase the
community’s creativity and talents while keeping
Christmas traditions alive.

REGION XI (Davao Region)

 Kadayawan Festival

-Observed every third week of August, Kadayawan

Festival is Davao City’s biggest and grandest festival.
REGION XII (Soccsksargen)
 Munato Festival
- Cultural festival commemorating the “First people” of
Sarangani Province. Sarangani was made into a separate
province only in 1992, however, the findings of the
anthropologic burial jars in Maitum proves community
life as early as 500 BC.
-This is a festival that embraces the different Indigenous
People of Sarangani and their heritage.
 Kalilangan Festival
-General Santos City marks its foundation anniversary
on February 27 with various activities culminating the
weeklong celebration of Kalilangan Festival. The
anniversary celebration commemorates the landing of
the city's founder, General Paulino Santos, along with
the first settlers from Luzon, at the shores of Sarangani
Bay.
-Is a street dance competition starting from the
historical Lion's Beach to the Oval Plaza where the final
showdown is held, Performers, representing each of the
city's barangays, outwit each others in this cultural
competition, showcasing marvelous performances to
the delight of the crowd.
REGION XIII (Caraga)
 Kahimunan Festival
-The Kahimunan Festival is an annual event on the
occasion of the fiesta celebration of the Sto Niño in
Barangay Libertad founded in 1987 by Father Juanito
"Nito" Belino, first Parish Priest of Sto Niño Parish.
-The Kahimunan is a traditional ritual performed by the
natives before the start of the planting season,
characterized by chanting, singing and playing
accompanied by indigenous musical instruments such
as the gimbor (drum), gong and bamboo instruments
called Kalatong and Kotik.
 Naliyagan Festival
-The Naliyagan Festival, unlike the usual Catholic-
themed Filipino fiesta, does not celebrate a patron saint
nor revolve around a parish church. It is a
commemoration of the founding anniversary of Agusan
del Sur, and it pays tribute to everything indigenous and
local about the province and its culture.
=The Naliyagan is relatively a recent annual tradition. It
started in 1993 when the incumbent governor
conceptualized a festival that aimed to recognize the
indigenous people and their contribution to the culture
and progress of the province. To be able to come up
with an appropriate name for the festival, the governor
consulted the elders of the main tribe of the land,
the Manobo, and they chose the name "Naliyagan"
which means the "chosen one, and the most loved."
 Sahunay
-Tube with six fingerholes; mouth piece of bamboo with
cut out reed; mouth shield made of coconut shell; bell
made of leaf (probably bamboo) and blue plastic
ribbon.

Dimensions:

Total length: 28,4 cm. diam. tube with fingerholes: 0,65

cm. widest diam bell: 3,7 cm

ARMM - Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

 Kubing

- It is a type of jaw harp made from a hand carved piece

of bamboo. Found all over the Philippines, this
traditional musical instrument is called kubing among
the Mindanao tribes (Maguindanao and Maranao),
kulaing in Cotabato, subing in Visayas, barmbaw among
the Tagalogs, kollibaw among the Negritos, kinaban
among the Hanunoo Mangyans, afiw (made of metal)
among the Bontocs, and coding among the Ibaloys and
Kalingas. The indigenous bamboo instrument comes in
various designs throughout Southeast Asia. It is known
by different names according to the culture that uses it.

-A kubing is played with the epidermis side facing the

audience. The holding hand firmly holds the instrument
with thumb and forefinger opposing each other, very
near, but not interfering with the free end of the reed.
This firm clamping of the bamboo adds the mass.

-Traditionally considered an instrument , usually used as

communication between family or a loved one in close
quarters.