9 Filipino Festivals That Filipinas LOVE Attending

Experiencing Filipino festivals almost comes hand-in-hand with dating a Filipina.

Why?

Simple, actually. Women from the Philippines love attending their country’s festivals, also known as fiestas, to celebrate their history, culture, and traditions.

These festivals are known throughout the world for their unparalleled beauty, extravagance and, of course, the fun it brings to the people.

What makes these events even more special is that it happens all year round on almost all of the 7,000-plus islands in the country.

That’s hundreds of options for your date with your Filipina girlfriend.

But in an effort to trim down your hard search, we are listing down nine of the most famous local festivals that your date would surely love to attend with you.

Read on to learn how you can have fun and fall in love in the Philippines at the same time.

Festivals From Luzon

1. Panagbenga Festival

Also known as the Flower Festival, Panagbenga usually lasts for a month, so you and your date will surely have a great time in Baguio City during this celebration which is held every February.

On the streets, you will see larger-than-life floats covered in flowers of different varieties. This is followed by street dancers in flower-inspired costumes.

A fair warning: While the festival uses millions of flowers to celebrate the season of their bloom, as in spring, expect to still feel the cold temperature of the city.

Now, that’s a situation any Filipina would love to be part of — being in the arms of her love, surrounded by exquisitely beautiful flowers.

2. Pahiyas Festival

Celebrated during the month of May, the municipality of Lucban, Quezon, dresses up their homes in food-dyed, leaf-shaped wafers made of rice called “kiping.”

This, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, make the Pahiyas one of the most vibrant and colorful fiestas in the country.

Take your date on a simple stroll along the streets and witness houses brimming not only with decor and smiles, but also with free food offered by the locals.

Also, be sure to stick around when they announce the best designed homes at the end of the celebration.

3. Moriones Festival

Moriones Festival is uniquely celebrated during the entire Holy Week.

In seven days, men and women from Marinduque come out in costumes reminiscent of biblical Roman warriors — complete with personalized and highly intricate carved masks.

They play the role of the “Moriones” and re-enact the search for a Roman centurion who later became a Catholic saint.

What makes this festival even more entertaining are the surprises and scares for children in order to draw attention to the parade.

In addition, guests like you and your Filipina date can also join in on the fun and help “look” for the one person assigned to play the saint who may be hiding in one of the townspeople’s houses.

Festivals From Visayas

4. Sinulog Festival

Filipinos undeniably love to party.

So if you want to bring your Filipina girlfriend the fun she has always been used to, attend the Sinulog Festivalin Cebu.

Every third week of January, the city erupts with color, huge parades, and top of the line performances.

You and your date can go around and join the fully packed street dances which highlight locals in their traditional costumes. There are also concerts for the night events. And you can always expect to be served the most exquisite dishes of the Cebuanos.

If you find the need to distance yourself from the people, you can still be festive in many other sites within the city or island, from the glistening beaches to the serene mountain tops.

5. Ati-atihan Festival

Aklanons mark the Ati-atihan Festival every third Sunday of January.

Being the oldest festival in the Philippines, Ati-atihan is also called “The Mother of All Philippine Festivals.”

As you make Aklan your destination for a unique and memorable date with your Filipina partner, expect to spend a week of dancing and nonstop street parties.

Here, anyone can jump into the parade and join the performers. You need not even wear the same bright and extravagant costumes or paint your body black as they do.

Simply make sure to have the energy required to match the heavy beating of the drums.

6. Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival

Leyte’s rich culture and colorful history are showcased during the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival every end of June.

Street dancers cover their faces and bodies with various colorful paint as a homage to their ancestors, the “pintados”, who are the tattooed native warriors of Leyte and Samar.

After partying under the sun, there are other events you can join, such as the city’s highly regarded beauty pageant, openground concerts, and local carnivals and amusement rides.

Make it part of your bucket list to try their local wine as well. That’s a shot that will get you and your Filipina date merry all day long.

Festivals From Mindanao

7. Kadayawan Festival

The biggest and most colorful festival in Mindanao is celebrated in Davao every third week of August.

Kadayawan is a harvest fiesta that highlights the bounty of the region in terms of fresh produce, such as fruits and flowers.

You will see large floats parading the streets with decorations of their agricultural harvest, followed by a long line of dancers in the most vibrant costumes as well.

There are other events to look out for, like their ethnic dance competitions, extravagant pyrotechnics shows, and beauty pageants.

And, of course, who would want to miss taking part in their famous and surely filling food event?

8. Sirong Festival

Every 15th of August, Surigao del Sur celebrates their local history with the Sirong Festival.

In bright-colored costumes, locals create an incredible ethnic parade that re-enacts the battle between Muslims and Christians during the Spanish occupation that took place hundreds of years ago.

The main event that hosts a huge dance competition calls participants from the neighboring towns of the province.

Sirong is but a big, fun dance party for all.

9. Higalaay Festival

Cagayan de Oro’s week-long fiesta, which is celebrated every first week of August, treats every guest to a number of unique events.

Higalaay has everything you and your Filipina girl can ever hope to find and experience in an incredibly exciting and vibrant festival.

Aside from the Mardi Gras we all expect a Philippine festival to have, the fiesta also showcases culinary shows, agricultural fairs, marathons, and singing competitions.

What better way to close a party than with a bang of colors, thanks to their very own fireworks competition.

Cagayan De Oro stays unmatched and golden with their remarkable feast day.

Faith, Fun, and Forever With Her.

Filipino festivals are always fun to be part of. You can make it even more memorable by spending the holiday partying out and dancing with your Filipina date.

Anywhere in the country, at any time of the year, there’s a celebration waiting for you. So what’s holding you back from booking a trip to any or all of these extravagant Filipino festivals?