Sinulog Festival

MR. ATI: The Sinulog-Santo Niño Festival is an annual cultural and religious festival held on the third Sunday
of January in Cebu City, and is the center of the Santo Niño Catholic celebrations in the Philippines. The festival
is considered to be first of most popular festivals in the Philippines, with every celebration of the festival routinely
attracting around 1 to 2 million people from all over the Philippines every year.[1] Aside from the religious aspect
of the festival, Sinulog is also famous for its street parties, usually happening at night before and at the night of
the main festival.

MS. VETMED: The word Sinulog comes from the Cebuano adverb sulog which roughly means "like Water
current movement;" it describes the forward-backward movement of the Sinulog dance. The dance consists of
two steps forward and one step backward, done to the sound of drums. The dance is categorized into Sinulog-
base, Free-Interpretation, and street dancing. Candle vendors at the Basilica continue to perform the traditional
version of the dance when lighting a candle for the customer, usually accompanied by songs in the native
language. Sinulog is the ritual prayer-dance honoring Señor Santo Niño or the Child Jesus. An image of the
Child Jesus is said to be the baptismal gift the Portuguese conquistador Ferdinand Magellan gave Hara Amihan
(Humanay) of Zebu (now Cebu) in April 1521. The image, believed to be miraculous, is housed at the Basilica
Minore del Santo Niño in downtown Cebu City.

Ati-Atihan Festival

MR. NFRH: The Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in January in honor of the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus),
Held on the third Sunday, in the town of Kalibo Philippines in the island of Panay originally came from Batan,
Aklan, then adopted later by some neighboring towns. The name Ati-Atihan means "to be like Atis" or "to make
believe Atis", the local name for the Aeta aborigines who first settled in Panay Island and other parts of the
archipelago.

MS. MENS: The festival consists of tribal dance, music, accompanied by indigenous costumes and weapons,
and parade along the street. Christians and non-Christians observe this day with religious processions. It has
inspired many other Philippine Festivals including the Sinulog Festival of Cebu and Dinagyang of Iloilo City, both
adaptations of the Kalibo's Ati-Atihan Festival, and legally holds the title "The Mother of All Philippine Festivals"
in spite of the other two festivals' claims of the same title.

Pahiyas Festival

MR. NEW DORM: Every May 15, the townsfolk of Lucban, Quezon, don their houses with fruits, vegetables and
colorful kiping (a leaf-shaped wafer made of rice and dyed with food coloring) in celebration of the Pahiyas
Festival. The word ‘pahiyas’ was derived from the word ‘payas’, which means decoration or to decorate. The
reason behind such practice dates back to the 15th century, when farmers used to offer their harvests at the foot
of Mount Banahaw. Over time, they brought their farm produce at the church in honor of the town’s patron saint
– St. Isidore the Laborer, who is the patron saint of farmers, laborers and peasants.

MS. FOREHA: Pahiyas is the time when people in Lucban, Quezon give thanks to San Isidro Labrador for a
good harvest. Pahiyas means "decor". Every May 15, the fronts pf houses are are elaborately decorated with
brightly colored rice wafer, called kiping, a type of rice dough made from a traditional reciipe. When the festival
is over, these kiping are cooked and eaten as rice chips. Fruits, grain, vegetables, and woven palm hats are
used as decorations. In the Afternppn, San Isidro Labrador's image is carried accross town in a procession to
assure farmers of more bountiful harvests in forthcoming seasons.

Panagbenga Festival

MR. MAREHA: Panagbenga is an annual flower festival celebrated every February which takes place in Baguio
City, Philippines. The term “Panagbenga” comes from a Kankanaey term meaning “season of blooming”. This
festival reflects the history, traditions and values of Baguio and the Cordilleras. It lasts over a month long and
flourishes through community spirit involvement.
MS. WOMENS: Panagbenga Festival (English: Flower Festival) is a month-long annual flower occasion
occurring in Baguio City. The term is of Kankanaey origin, meaning "season of blooming".[1] The festival, held in
February, was created as a tribute to the city's flowers and as a way to rise up from the devastation of the 1990
Luzon earthquake.[2] The festival includes floats that are covered mostly with flowers not unlike those used
in Pasadena's Rose Parade. The festival also includes street dancing, presented by dancers clad in flower-
inspired costumes, that is inspired by the Bendian, an Ibaloi dance of celebration that came from the Cordillera
region. Aside from boosting the economy through tourism, the festival also helped the younger generation of
indigenous people to rediscover their culture's old traditions. The indigenous people were first wary with
government-led tourism because of the threat that they will interfere or change their communities' rituals.

Vinta (Hermosa Festival)

MR. IH: The vinta is a traditional outrigger boat from the Philippine island of Mindanao. The boats are made
by Sama-Bajau, Tausug and Yakan peoples living in the Sulu Archipelago,[2] Zamboanga peninsula, and
southern Mindanao. Vinta are characterized by their colorful rectangular lug sails (bukay) and
bifurcated prows and sterns, which resemble the gaping mouth of a crocodile. Vinta are used as fishing vessels,
cargo ships, and houseboats. Smaller undecorated versions of the vinta used for fishing are known as tondaan.[3]
The name "vinta" is predominantly used in Zamboanga, Basilan, and other parts of mainland Mindanao. It is also
known as pilang or pelang among the Sama-Bajau of the Tawi-Tawi islands; dapang or depang among
the Tausug in Sulu; and balanda or binta in Yakan in Basilan. It can also be generically referred to as lepa-
lepa, sakayan, or bangka, which are native names for small outrigger vessels.

MS. ACCI: The Hermosa Festival, also known as Zamboanga La Hermosa Festival, popularly known as Fiesta
Pilar, is a month-long festival held each year in the city of Zamboanga,[1] the city center of Zamboanga Peninsula
Region in the Philippines. It is one of the oldest festivals in the country and the most awaited event in the region.
The festival is held in honor of the miraculous image of Our Lady of the Pillar (Spanish and Chavacano: Nuestra
Señora del Pilar), the patroness of Batangas City which is held in every 12 October. It is also the patroness
of Zaragoza in Spain, the sister city of Zamboanga in Philippines.