Events calendar Philippines

It is held in honor of Saint Isidore the Farmer, the patron saint of farmers. The inhabitants decorate their houses with agricultural products (bananas, rice leaves...) and invite visitors to share food and refreshments. In the morning, dance shows animate the city. In the afternoon, a procession with a brass band follows the mass. Finally, after his passage through the streets (on this occasion, the priest blesses the houses), the inhabitants distribute the decorations of their houses, which are all edible.

If the festivities linked to Holy Week are legion in the Philippines, San Pedro Cutud, a barangay in the city of San Fernando, north of Manila, has acquired a most atypical (not to say "gory") reputation. Indeed, every year on Good Friday, believers, mostly men, flock there, wearing crowns of thorns, to reenact the Passion of Christ with scourging and other crucifixions. The Church itself does not support this practice, mentioned here for information purposes rather than as an incentive, of course.

The end of January is placed under the sign of the Child Jesus (Santo Niño). It is celebrated in several cities of the archipelago such as Manila, Dumaguete or Dipolog. Dinagyang is one of the most awaited and frequented of the archipelago. The most awaited event is a dance contest where the tribes present their choreographies, some of them very impressive, wearing traditional costumes, each one more beautiful and extravagant than the other. All this to the sounds of the bands and under the astonished look of the visitors.

It is one of the most anticipated festivals in the city. Its name refers to the tribes of the islands of Leyte and Samar, the Pintados. For the occasion, the different communities gather in Tacloban and present their own culture and folklore. Body paintings and tattoos are mainly highlighted, street dances in incredible costumes also take place and of course a traditional beauty contest so dear to Filipinos!

Every year since 2013, Manila has been showcasing the best that the Philippine art scene has to offer in terms of contemporary art. Exhibitions in the field of photography, digital, visual arts or performance, thematic conferences, guided tours, film screenings, workshops ... a program that will delight all art lovers. In parallel, "10 days of art" are also organized in the capital, in other museums or art galleries and seen as an expansion of what the Art Fair offers on weekends (visits, exhibitions).