PHILIPPINE

FESTIVAL
Chapter 5
The Philippines has a rich n country and they symbolize the
cultural influence of Spain in Filipino life. The opulence of
these edifices was clearly visible in the ornate facades,
paintings, and sculpture, as well as in the behavioral patterns
of the people and in the intricate rituals associated with
Roman Catholic churches. In this way, the Roman Catholic
Church and religion influenced Filipino architectural and
building style, even as the rituals and festivities of the Church
influenced Filipino dances, songs, paintings, and literary
writings. Through these influences, the Church afforded the
Filipinos abundant opportunities for both solemn rites and
joyous estivities and celebrations known as “fiestas.”
this way, the Roman Catholic Church and religion influenced Filipino architectural
and building style, even as the rituals and festivities of the Church influenced Filipino
dances, songs, paintings, and literary writings. Through these influences, the Church
afforded the Filipinos abundant opportunities for both solemn rites and joyous
festivities and celebrations known as “fiestas.” On the other hand, when the United
States took over the Philippines, the people began to be free to join whatever religion
they wanted, they also introduce free education and use the English language as the
medium of expression. They also introduce the style of clothing that they use to the
Filipino culture like belts, suspenders, short skirts/dresses, and bonnets/hats. They
likewise introduce some of the food to the Philippines that have been widely adopted
into their lifestyle like hamburgers and sandwiches thus, a vivid past has left its mark
all over the archipelago in many different forms that present-day visitors to the
country are now discovering.
The rich Philippine heritage can be experienced, not only in textbooks and museums, but
also in beautifully preserved historical Sites across the country. A simple textbook
description of a historical event comes to life upon a visit to the place where it unfolded. In
a like the Philippines, where history is kept alive, one does not need to go far to travel back
in time.The tradition of the fiesta is an ancient one handed down from the many Spanish
religious practices. These celebrations may either be Religious, Tribal, National celebration
or Cultural Festival. However, most fiestas are celebrated among patron saints and or the
major events in the life of Jesus Christ and His Mother. To name a few are the Feast of the
Black Nazarene, Ati-Atihan, Peñafrancia Fluvial Festival, and Carabao Festival. Our
Muslim brothers also observe the Ramadan of the Hari-raya Puasa Feast. There are also
feast that existed prior to Spanish colonialization like the Tengao and Fagfagto which are
rituals among the Ifugaos, Bontocs and Kalingas of Mountain Province. Filipino hospitality
is legendary and at no time is it more in evidence than at fiesta time.Filipinos love to have
fun, and it is obvious in the way they celebrate fiestas or festivals. Fiestas or any
community celebration usually feature music, dancing, and food feasts, and they are
considered special opportunities for people to extend hospitality and friendship to one
another.
During the 9th of January every year,
devotees flock to Quiapo in Manila to be a part of the yearly
procession of the replica of the Black Nazarene – a statue of Jesus
Christ suffering under the weight of the cross. The original statue THE FEAST OF
was brought to the country from Mexico in the 1600s and is THE BLACK
believed to bring miracles to the people.The statue, which NAZARENE
normally resides above the altar of the Quiapo basilica, draws
crowds to that church throughout the year, packing the hourly
Masses and the area around the basilica all day on Fridays and
Sundays. The Black Nazarene image is brought out of the shrine
for public veneration three times a year. On New Year’s Day, it is
brought out to begin a novena that leads up to the January feast.
On Good Friday, the day
most typically associated with Jesus carrying the cross, it is also
revered in public. But January 9 is the feast that draws massive
crowds to see and touch the statue.
 . The event is carried live on television, and the movement through the streets
creates a religious frenzy unmatched by any other religious event in the
country. The procession usually takes 18 to 22 hours, and sometimes even
longer. The passion over the opportunity to touch or accompany the Nazarene
sometimes results in serious casualties. The procession of the Black Nazarene
is also called the Translacion, a Spanish word which means “to transfer” as the
devotees transfer the replica of Jesus Christ from itsoriginal home in Rizal
Park to where it’s currently at today, in the Quiapo Church. Most Filipino
Catholics consider the Nazarene statue to be miraculous, able to heal terminal
cancers and other sicknesses, to grant petitions, and to help those in need.
HISTORICAL OF BLACK
NAZARINE
 The procession has been a life-long tradition for some and will continue to be
as long as their faith remains steadfast. The image is already in its 410th year,
and has thus seen through many events in Philippine history:1606 –The Black
Nazarene, an image of Jesus Christ carved in dark wood was brought to the
Philippines by Augustinian Recollects. The image was first housed in the
Recollect church in Bagumbayan under the patronage of Saint John the Baptist
1608 – The image was transferred to the Church of Saint Nicolas de Tolentino,
also known as “Recoletos Church” in Intramuros.1645 and 1863 – The image
survived earthquakes that shook Manila and nearby provinces.1650 – Pope
Innocent X recognized the lay Confraternity of Santo Cristo Jesus Nazareno
for the acknowledgment of the devotion of Filipinos to Jesus Christ through
the Black Nazarene.
 1787 – The image was transferred to Quiapo Church. It is later celebrated as
Translacion by means of the procession from its original home in Church of
Saint Nicolas de Tolentino (outside Rizal Park) to the Quiapo Church.1791 and
1929 – The image survived the fires that consumed Quiapo Church.1945 – The
image survived the bombing of Manila during World War II.1988 –
Canonically known as Saint John the Baptist Parish, the church was also called
the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene.1998 – A replica was used in the
procession due to the damaged sustained by the original. The original imaged
is housed inside the church.Through the years, the Black Nazarene remains a
famous icon that attracts many devotees from different parts of the country.
The scores of devotees flocking to the Capital today are but a glaring
indication that Filipinos, with enough prayer and perseverance, are capable of
enduring any volume of hardship to express one’s devotion.
When: Every third Sunday of JanuaryThe grandest festival of the
country is easily Cebu’s Sinulog Festival, which honors the SINULOG
Señor Santo Niño or the Child Jesus, an image of which was a FESSTIVAL
gift from the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Raja
Humabon and Hara Amihan when he came to conquer the
Philippines in 1521. ‘Sinulog’ is derived from the Cebuano
adverb ‘sulog’, which roughly translates to “like water current
movement”—the inspiration for the festival’s famous two steps
forward, one step backward dance.While recent years have made
Sinulog more notorious for its street parties, there are still
millions of devotees who make the pilgrimage to the Basilica
Minore del Santo Niño, the oldest Roman Catholic church in the
country, built on the spot where the statuette of the Child Jesus
was found by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565
HISTORY OF SINULOG
FESTIVAL
 Sinulog is held in celebration of one of the country’s most famous historic
relics: the Santo Niño de Cebú. This was the statue of the baby Jesus that was
handed to the Rajah Humabon of Cebu by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand
Magellan in 1521.This was one of the most important events in the religious
history of the Philippines as it paved the way to the birth of Christianity in the
countryThe Sinulog dance steps are also believed to originate from Baladhay,
Rajah Humabon's adviser. When Baladhay got sick, Humabon ordered his tribe
to bring Baladhay into a room where the Santo Niño was enthroned.
 After a few days, Baladhay was heard shouting and was found
dancing by the native tribe. Baladhay was asked as to why was he
was shouting and dancing. He pointed at the image of the holy
Jesus and explained that baby Jesus was tickling him. In turn,
Baladhay danced with the little child and explained that he was
dancing the movements of the river. To this day, the two-steps
forward, the one-step backward movement is still used by Santo
Niño devotees who believe that it was the Santo Niño's choice to
have Baladhay dance .
When: Every third Sunday of JanuaryKnown as The Mother of
All Philippine Festivals, the Ati-Atihan serves as the inspiration
behind Cebu’s Sinulog and IloIlo’s Dinagyang, among many ATI-ATIHAN
other festivals in the country. While it is also in honor of the FESTIVAL
Santo Niño, its origins are more pagan in nature, dating some
800 years ago. The festival’s name means ‘to be like the Atis’—
the Aetas, the dark-skinned indigenous people who are said to be
the first settlers in the Philippines. Initially a celebration of unity
between the Aetas and Malay chieftains who fled Borneo to
settle in the Panay Islands, the Spanish conquerors later on
integrated Catholicism into the festival.At present, people who
attend Ati-Atihan will encounter street dancers donning vibrant
colorful costumes, contrasting with blackened faces. The festival
is also famed for snake dancing, in which people hold on to each
other to weave through the crowd in a snake-like fashion.
HISTORICAL OF ATI-ATIHAN
FESTIVAL
 The Ati Arihan Festival history goes way back to the 1700s. In 1975, a Catholic priest named
Msgr. Jose Iturralde wrote that the origin of the Ati-Atihan Festival started from an old couple
who lives in the western part of Aklan.Msgr. Iturralde said that in the early-1700s, a fisherman
went fishing in a river but caught a piece of wood instead. He threw the wood away, but it
repeatedly returned to his net. The fisherman was dismayed so he just went home and decided
to bring the wood. He threw it in a pile to use as fuel to cook their meal. While sleeping, the
fisherman and his wife heard a beating sound. When they search where it’s coming from, they
found a carving of a child on the piece of wood from the river.The fisherman placed it on their
altar. Since then, the family received blessings, including good fish harvests. After a few
weeks, the fisherman sought advice from a priest.The priest asked the fisherman to place the
wood at the Ibajay Parish but the wood was repeatedly disappearing and was always found at
the roof of the fisherman’s house.
 The Ibajay residents believed that the incident was a call for them to seek
forgiveness of their sins. Part of their penance was to blacken their faces with
coal and to dress in rags which later on became the Ati-Atihan Festival
costume. After doing this, the piece of wood has remained and never
disappeared in the church.One day, a group of Spaniards known as the Moros
from the Mindoro province tried to invade Ibajay. The residents fought back
and dedicated their victory to the piece of woodUntil now, the fight between
the natives against the Spaniards is being commemorated as part of the Ibajay
Ati-Atihan.In 1798 Padre Fernando de Legaspi, a priest based in Malinao town
heard about the yearly celebration being held in Ibajay. Upon witnessing the
revelry, he decided to do it, too, in the towns of Malinao and Kalibo in
1800.And on June 11, 1871, a testament was signed by a Kalibo priest with
businessmen in town to institutionalize the holding of the annual Ati-Atihan
Festival.
 CARABAO
Kneeling Carabao Festival is a unique festival held in the FESTIVAL
municipality of Pulilan, Bulacan every 14th of May. Even nearby
provinces participate in this two-day celebration to join with the
parade of beautifully decorated carts.The carabaos are being trained
since childhood by their owners using hand gestures to kneel. One
thing I saw making the carabaos kneel is when the owner holds the
nape of the carabao. These owners make the carabaos kneel in front
of the San Isidro Labrador Parish Church as a sign of
thanksgiving and honor to the patron of the farmers for a bounteous
harvest.On the parade are marching bands and majorettes of all over
the town, in full costumes and gears under the extreme heat of the
sun. These bands are performing in front of the church giving
countless smiles and joys to the thousand audiences of the parade.
HISTORICAL OF CARABAO
FESTIVAL
 The story behind Pulilan Carabao Festival is that a farm worker by the name of
San Isidro Labrador was a very effective individual. So effective was he that
his manager often wondered to himself how it was possible to get such work
done. His curiosity led him to discover that the farm was actually cultivated by
angelic creatures. In Bulacan particularly, the festival is more of a
thanksgiving to the patron saint, for the plentiful harvests.For curious tourists,
this fascinating folklore certainly has close similarities to the Philippines’
colonial history. In the Spanish colonial era, the Spanish Masters had a great
influence on the locals, and this festival is one of the events that are
representative of this. In fact, the Feast Day of San Isidro that is held on the
15th of May is one of the most celebrated holidays in Madrid even today.
Every year, on the third Sunday of September, the miraculous
image of the Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia also known as Our
Lady of Penafrancia or Ina as lovingly called by devotees is
taken out of her shrine and brought in a procession along the PEÑAFRANCIA
Naga River. This annual festivity is called the Peñafrancia
Festival.Peñafrancia Festival is a religious festival honoring
FESTIVAL
Our Lady of Penafrancia, Patroness of the Bicol Region. The
main highlight of the event is the fluvial procession along the
Naga River where the Our Lady of Peñafrancia original image
is transferred from its official home at the Peñafrancia Basilica
Minore to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral and vice versa.
This festival is the biggest religious event in Bicol and is
considered to be the biggest Marian event in Asia where it
draws millions of tourists, pilgrims, and devotees every year.
HISTORY PEÑAFRANCIA
FESTIVAL
 The Peñafrancia Festival History can be traced back to somewhere 300 years ago when Fr.
Miguel Robles de Covarrubias commissioned a small chapel at the foot of Mt. Isarog, and a
small Our Lady of Penafrancia image to be enshrined in it in 1710. Originally, he has pledged
to build a stone Our Lady of Peñafrancia Church in Manila near the Pasig River as he has
received many miracles of healing through his devotion to the Our Lady of Penafrancia. Under
Most Rev. Ysidro de Arevalo, the stone Basilica of Our Lady of Penafrancia was erected, not
in Manila but in Naga. Many people since then are flocking to the Basilica of Our Lady of
Penafrancia to show their devotion and has since grown to become the largest Marian
Devotion in Asia.Then on August 17, 1981, the Our Lady of Peñafrancia original image was
stolen. Many Bicolanos were in disbelief. More than a year after the image was stolen, Msgr.
Florencio Yllana, a former rector of the old shrine, received a box containing an image in
pieces said to be of Ina (what locals lovingly call the Lady of Penafrancia). It was later
confirmed that it is the Our Lady of Penafrancia image.
 In honor of St. Isidore the Laborer, patron saint of
farmers in the Philippines, the people of Lucban, Quezon
celebrate the Pahiyas Festival in the middle of the
summer. It began as a simple celebration of thanksgiving
back in the 15th century, when farmers offered their PAHIYAS
harvests at the foot Mount Banahaw—a practice that FESTIVAL
carried on after the first Church was established and saw
natives offering their fresh farm produce to St. Isidore.
Eventually, with the Church unable to accommodate all
the harvest, they were instead displayed at the homes of
the farmers.Today, the Pahiyas continues this tradition,
with participants going beyond showcasing their harvests
to also put up hats, bags, fans, longganisa, and of course,
kiping—colorful, leaf-shaped wafers made of rice dough.
HISTORY OF PAHIYAS
FESTIVAL
 The Pahiyas Festival History traces its roots back to the 16th century when it
all started. During that time, it was not like the festival we know today. The
farmers would bring their harvests at the foot of Mt. Banahaw where they offer
the goods. They gathered and held simple celebrations to give thanks to the
Anitos for bountiful harvests. But when the first church was built, the farmers
just brought their harvests there to be blessed by the priest. When they did that,
they experienced another bountiful harvest the following year. So, they made it
a tradition to bring their harvests to the church for the Lord’s blessings.
However, the time came that the church could no longer accommodate the
overflowing goods. Because of that, it was agreed upon that the farmers would
display their harvests at their doorsteps, then a priest would just roam around
to bless each house.
 In May 1963, the Lucban Festival became the colorful harvest
festival we know today, with people dressed in awesome Pahiyas
Festival costumes while parading and performing a Pahiyas
Festival dance on the streets. The Pahiyas Festival month
celebration also includes cultural shows, trade fairs, art exhibits,
and various contests to boost the tourism industry. And it did. More
and more locals from neighboring provinces and even those from
other countries are traveling to Lucban to experience and take lots
of Pahiyas Festival pictures.
THE END!