This regular national holiday is celebrated on the last Monday in August. It is known in the Philippines as ‘Araw ng mga Bayani’. It is a day to honour the bravery of all Filipino heroes who struggled for the nation’s freedom, including those who vanished into anonymity. Who are the National Heroes? In 1995, a year before the centenary of
Read more
The Kadayawan Festival is an annual festival in the city of Davao in the Philippines. Its name derives from the friendly greeting “Madayaw”, from the Dabawenyo word meaning good, valuable, superior or beautiful. The festival is a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, the bounties of harvest and serenity of living. Previously, this festival held in the third week of August
Read more
Independence Day is a public holiday. It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed. What do People do? Independence Day is a day when many people, including government officials, employees, and students, participate in nationwide parades. However, the main highlight is the police and military parade in Manila headed by the country’s
Read more
The Pintados Festival is a cultural-religious celebration in Tacloban based on the body-painting traditions of the ancient tattooed “pintados” warriors. In 1986, the Pintados Foundation, Inc. was formed by the people of Tacloban to organize this festival in honor of Sr. Santo Niño. Years later, it was merged with the Kasadyaan Festival which is always held on June 29. History “Pintados,” or “painted people,” is a
Read more
The fiesta color of summer come alive again as Lucban celebrates the SAN ISIDRO PAHIYAS FESTIVAL – referred to by many as a fiesta to end all fiestas. Every year, thousands of tourists and holidaymakers flock to this historic town commended as one of the cleanest and most peaceful communities in the country. Its cool, fresh and invigorating climate earns her the
Read more
For decades the Mangyan, a people group on the Philippine island of Mindoro, have been robbed of their ancestral homelands and driven back into the mountains. The missionary Ewald Dinter supports them not only in their struggle for their land. As head of the Mangyan Mission he’s trying to offer them educational opportunities and preserve their cultural identity. Credits by:
Read more
The Philippines is known for its countless, spectacular beaches, amazing destinations, festive fiestas, friendliest people, and cool summer fun. Indeed, the Philippines offers some of the most exciting activities during the summer. Here are some fun activities to choose from. Country’s top beaches With one of the longest coastlines in Asia at 36,289 kilometers, the Philippines is blessed with fine
Read more
All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day, Hallowmas, the Feast of All Saints, or Solemnity of All Saints, is a Christian festival celebrated in honour of all the saints, known and unknown. In Western Christianity, it is celebrated on 1 November by the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Methodist Church, the Church of the Nazarene, the Lutheran Church, the Reformed Church, and other Protestant churches. Hallow-mas in the Philippines is variously called “Undás“, “Todos
Read more
The culture of the Philippines is a combination of cultures of the East and West. Filipino identity was created primarily as a result of pre-colonial cultures, colonial influences, and foreign traders intermixing and gradually evolving together. In pre-colonial times, the Philippines was a divided set of nations, islands, and tribes being ruled by their own kings, chieftains, lakans, rajahs, datus,
Read more