January Fiestas & Festivals in the Philippines

(Part 1)

We all know that the first month of the year is January; it is a very religious and great way tostart the year. January is the month of devotion dedicated to Santo Niño, the Holy Child Jesus. Devotees to the Santo Niño all over the Philippines prepared themselves to celebrate with faith in the month of January with colorful events.  Here’s a list of January ‘you should keep a look out for planning your vacation in the Philippines. We will try to cover each fiesta in individual article

1 January :

• Bulaklakan Festival - Muntinlupa, Metro Manila.  Annual procession, parade of flowers and costumes   

• Aguman Sanduk - Minalin, Pampanga.  The Aguman Sanduk of Minalin is celebrated in the afternoon  of January 1, while the rest of the country takes a break from the previous night”s New Year revelry, and there’s no one to catch the boys and men of this sleepy fishing town wear their mother’s lipstick and put on their wives dresses.                        

• Feast of the Three Kings -  Gasan, Marinduque .  A feast honoring the three kings who are visiting houses around the Poblacion of Gasan.

• Sinulog Festival - celebrated every 3rd week of January in Cebu City. This Philippine fiesta in Visayas region celebrates Cebu's patron saint, the Santo Niño (Child Christ). This week long event is marked by processions, street dancing and parades. This fiesta is a local version of the Mardi gras. 

• Ati-Atihan Festival - fiesta starts from the16th to the 22nd of January in Kalibo, Aklan. Revelers masquerading as Negritos in colorful costumes, dance to the beat of drums while chanting "Hala Bira!" in preparation to the Sunday procession in honor of the Santo Niño.

• Bailes De Luces - La Castellana, Negros Occicental La Castellana, Negros Occicental. The town celebration of Charter Day and befitting culmination of the Christmas season. The festival is conceptualized as a festival of hope and thanksgiving. Thanksgiving for all the blessings received in the year that was and hope for a prosperous new year. Its unique feature is the use of lights or “luces” as props and adornment, nocturnal festivities and streetdancing.

• Kuraldal - Sasmoan, Pampanga, The Kuraldal of Sasmuan occurs during the week of the town fiesta on January 6, when Kapampangans from neighboring towns gather in front of the chapel of St. Lucy and dance for favors all night.

• Kadayaw Festial -  Pambujan, N. Samar.  Thanksgiving for the blessings received by the municipality.

• Bandi Festival & Bayluhay Festival -  8 - 15 January.  Festivals featuring the biggest “bandi" (sweet delicacy) in Western Visayas and the Reenactment of the Barter of Panay.

• Binanog Festival -  8 -16  January.  Lambunao, Iloilo Binanog is a yearly festivities celebrated by the Lambunaonos every January in honor of infant Jesus. Binanog means a pool of dance by the people in hinterland of Lambunao. The following are the Binanugan, the dance depicting the movement of the birds, the Inagong sayaw-sayaw, a celebration dances, the Dinagmay,and  the courtship dance. The dance movement is accompanied by lively drum beatings.

• Feast of the Black Nazarene  - Quiapo, Manila.  Each year, devotees of the Black Nazarene swarm the Quiapo church for a chance to be able to pull the carosa of the image of the Black Savior. it is one of the most spectacular religious events in the country. 

• Lingayen Gulf Landing  Anniversary - Lingayen, Pangasinan (6 hours from Manila by land) Commemoration of the liberation of Pangasinan from the Japanese invasion led by Gen. Douglas McArthur on Jan. 9, 1945

• Biniray Festival - Romblon (2 hours  & 30 minutes from Manila to Batangas by land; 2-3 hours from Batangas to Romblon by ferry).  FESTIVAL (Fluvial procession)  inspired revelry and fluvial procession

• Araw ng Koronadal "Hinugyaw" Festival -  10 January, Koronadal. Translated literally, means “Day of Koronadal” and indeed it is. Hinugyaw Festival, dubbed as the “Festival of Festivals”, is a celebration of the different cultures that has dwelled on the fertile valley of Koronadal for many years now.

• Sinulog (Kabankalan) Festival -  10-16 January, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.  Revelers garbed in distinctively colorful costumes with bare bodies painted in black soot, take to the streets to the riotous and frenzied beats of drums celebrating the feast of El Señor Sto. Niño.

2 January:

3- 22 January:

5 January:

6 January:

7 January:

8-16 January:

9 January:

10 - 16 January: