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Philippines is celebrating many festivals all year round. Every region, provinces and Cities has different kinds of festivities, events and schedule. On any given day, there is sure to be a festival in a town or city somewhere in the Philippines. People celebrate every festival with excitement, enthusiasm and high spirits. Filipinos enjoys every moment when celebrating the festival. The event or fiesta is characterized by the community to express the warm welcome of the harvest, express religious fervor, or commemorate a historic event. It is among the ties that blind, showing and strengthening the shared history, values, and experiences of a specific group of people.
Ilocos Norte consists of 21 Municipalities and 2 Cities. And every municipalities and cities have their own festivals and during the month of November they will showcase their own culture and festival and we called that Tan-ok ni Ilocano Festival of Festivals.
In this month they gather trough out their municipalities and cities to show the history of their culture where and when it started. In this time you will see how Ilocos Norte blooms to each other provinces and how rich of cultures and talents of Ilocano people.
BATAC EMPANADA FESTIVAL
(Batac)December 8-30
The BATAC EMPANADA festival has already become an annual activity since Batac became a city in. The festival highlights the making of empanada through a dance parade and colorful floats well represented by clustered barangays composed of men, women and youngsters including local officials here. The different stages of preparation and cooking empanada were depicted at the street pageantry. It started from planting and harvesting rice and mongo, grating papaya, sausage making, catching eggs, rice dough making to cooking empanada. They all danced to the uniform music of Empanada adopting dance steps from cooking empanada. There was a dance parade participated in by locals both young and old alike. There was a long line of participants dancing in the uniform music of Empanada. The music was piped in along the streets. It was followed by street dancing where different stages of preparing an empanada were depicted through dances.
PAMULINAWEN FESTIVAL
(Laoag ) Febuary 4-10
Laoag City as they celebrate the Pamulinawen Festival. Originally perceived by the early Spanish friars and conquistadors to attractatives to their religious fold, fiestas indeed became a successful way of converting them to the Catholic religion, thus it became a yearly festivity handed down to us the passage of time.
The celebration is held on the feast day of the town’s patron saint. Just like any other town in the country, Laoag City celebrates its annual fiesta on the 11th of February, the feast day of Saint William the Hermit, its patron saint. It is an affair, which is primarily done to give honor, pay our homage and extend our thanks for the benevolence and generosity of Saint William. Through his intercession to the Lord, Laoag City has been blessed and spared from calamities and disasters. The Laoagueños wait for and look forward to every celebration of the city fiesta, making it an extension of the fun and the frolics of the Christmas season.
GULING -GULING FESTIVAL
(Paoay ) May
The festival is now known for the colorful traditional dance of a weaving dance called “panag-abel”. This is a tribute to those who weave the “abel” cloth—one of Paoay’s most world-renowned exports. Other staples of the festivity include making dudol or their native cake or drinking basi which is their sugarcane wine. These traditions can be traced all the way to the old agricultural towns in Ilocos. Despite the vibrant festivities and the tourist attraction, church officials still wish to instill the religious aspect of the festival to parishioners, locals, and visitors alike. The true essence of the Guling-Guling Festival is to commemorate Catholic virtues and practices, all centered on loving others and having faith in God.
BAC -BACARRA FESTIVAL
(Bacara) November
Fishing is the main industry in the town where they get good catch of quality and high valued fish products. They owe it to their patron Saint Andrew the Fisherman. And this festival celebration serves as a thanksgiving to the abundant fish catches. The highlight of the said event is the street dancing depicting the history of the town and fishing itself. Young boys and girls clad in their blue and yellow fish net costumes, salakot and fishing gears interpreted and presented the dances.
DINAKLISAN FESTIVAL
(Currimao) April 29-May
A coastal town, it pays tribute to its fishermen and primary industry and gives homage to the Almighty for the rich marine life as it celebrates Dinaklisan Festival. People come together for the float parade, street dancing and the coronation of the town’s loveliest maiden among others.
ANI FESTIVAL
(Dingras) March
The Ani Festival is an annual event in the municipality of Dingras. Unlike most Philippine festivals that celebrate in the name of their Patron Saint, Ani festival serves as a thanksgiving celebration of Dingras farmers for their bountiful lands and abundant harvests.
DAMILI FESTIVAL
(San Nicolas ) December
Held every Christmas time, the town of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte celebrates the Damili festival to acknowledge the main source of their livelihood: Pottery. They use the red variety they call Damili, which is abundant in the Ilocos region. Aside from pots, the red clay is also being used to create the beautiful damili tiles used as flooring for various structures like the Fort Ilocandia Casino and Hotel, Laoag International Airport, and Marcos Mansion.
David Binder
Festivals promote diversity, they bring neighbors into dialogue, they increase creativity, they offer opportunities for civic pride, they improve our general psychological well-being. In short, they make cities better places to live.
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