Philippines — Events
Cinemanila International Film Festival
December 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011
A film-buffs favorite, this is a yearly international film festival, with screenings of the best contemporary and classic films from all over the world. There is also an awards ceremony.
Grand Marian procession
December 4, 2011
One of the capital’s most impressive spectacles, this festival sees a parade of carriages carrying statues of the Virgin Mary through Manila’s historical heart. It starts in the late afternoon, and the illumination of the carriages once night falls adds to the atmosphere.
Kuraldal
January 7, 2012
Held during the same week as the Sasmuan town fiesta, Kuraldal is a huge religious festival that attracts Christian devotees from across the region. It takes place at the chapel of St Lucy, with participants taking part in a series of impassioned dances that begin in the evening and last through until well after midnight. It is said that on this night God grants the wishes of the dancers and many associate the event with fertility as it’s believed infertile women are able to fall pregnant after the event.
Feast of the Black Nazarene
January 9, 2012
The streets of old Manila (from Quiapo Church) are flooded by ecstatic crowds who try to touch a revered religious statue of the famous Black Nazarene. Better viewed from a safe distance.
Ati-Atihan Festival
January 14, 2012 - January 15, 2012
A mix of Catholic ritual and rum-fuelled partying, the Ati-Atihan commemorates the first contact between Malay settlers and the indigenous tribes of the islands which now form the Philippines. Representatives of local tribes aim to outdo each other with flamboyant costumes, as they parade through the streets accompanied by dozens of marching bands.
Chinese New Year
January 23, 2012
Welcoming the Chinese lunar year with feasting, processions and fireworks in Manila’s Chinatown.
International Bamboo Organ Festival
February 1, 2012 - February 29, 2012
The oldest and largest in Asia, this musical instrument, entirely made out of bamboo, was built in 1824 during the Spanish period by Padre Diego Cera, and it still works. Organists from around the world celebrate St Joseph’s Parish Church’s unique bamboo organ at this annual festival in Manila.
Moriones Festival
April 2, 2012 - April 8, 2012
The annual Moriones Festival is a week-long religious event that begins on Holy Monday and ends on Easter Sunday. It is one of the most colorful events in the Philippines and sees participants re-enact the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who, it is said, speared the crucified body of Jesus Christ. Legend has it that the blood which flowed from Christ’s body landed in Longinus’ bad eye, curing him of blindness. This miracle caused him to convert to Christianity and he was consequently hunted by his fellow centurions.
Good Friday Crucifixion Re-enactment
April 6, 2012
Each Easter the town of Guagua in the Pampanga region stages a re-enactment of Christ’s crucifixion. Approximately 10 people take part each year and are flogged as they make their way through the streets before being nailed to a cross. A mixture of Roman Catholic and more primitive beliefs, the event is a bloody and rather gruesome spectacle that none-the-less always attracts huge crowds of locals and curious tourists.
Moriones Festival
April 18, 2012 - April 24, 2012
The annual Moriones Festival is a week-long religious event that begins on Holy Monday and ends on Easter Sunday. It is one of the most colorful events in the Philippines and sees participants re-enact the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who, it is said, speared the crucified body of Jesus Christ. Legend has it that the blood which flowed from Christ’s body landed in Longinus’ bad eye, curing him of blindness. This miracle caused him to convert to Christianity and he was consequently hunted by his fellow centurions.
