Mindoro Oriental Festivals - Oriental Mindoro Festivities

PROVINCIAL FESTIVALS OF MINDORO

• MAHALTA FESTIVAL - Festival of Festivals

Mahalta Festival dubbed as “Festival of Festivals” place together in one setting the festivals of the 14 towns and 1 city of Oriental Mindoro in the form of Street Dancing Competition. These colorful festivals have as its focal point the relation of people to their environment, protection and conservation of forest, marine life and the natural resources

• PANDANGGITAB

The PANDANG-GITAB Mindoro was coined from PANDANGGO sa ILAW and DAGITAB (flicker of light), a lively street dancing, adapting the basic steps and usic of the original Pandanggo sa Ilaw. The style is the traditional sawy and balance movements with the graceful shallow gyrating of hips and torso. It was danced as a send-off and welcone to the male villagers going out to sea for fishing in the cold early hours of the norning. This dance suggests the fitting use of the tinghoy (gasera or oil lamp) with its lighted wick helplessly flickering like fireflies in the wind-kissed darkness of the seafront.

MUNICIPAL FESTIVALS

• KAALDAWAN IRAYAN FESTIVAL OF PUERTO GALERA OCTOBER 12
  

Kaaldawaan is Iraya-Mangyan term which means “Kaarawan” or birthday. Iraya, on the other hand, refers to a particular Mangyan tribe inhabiting the northern part of the island of Mindoro, wherein Puerto Galera is located. The Kaaldawaan-Iraya Festival is a cultural presentation which features Iraya dances, songs, folktales, indigenous games, ethnography & other traditions.  A streetdance competition among the primary and secondary schools in the town is also held.

• ADYAWAN FESTIVAL OF SAN TEODORO - DEC 8

This festival is celebrated coinciding with the feast of Immaculate Conception. The activity displays the many uses of coconut - from its leaves, trunks, down to its root. Adyawan is one variety of this “tree of life” that is common among the Iraya-Mangyans of San Teodoro. This festival further highlights the culture and tradition of this indigenous group, making them realize that they are part of the community manifested in the town’s festive way of holding the celebration.

• BANANA FESTIVAL OF BACO - JANUARY 25
  

Celebrated in abundance of bananas; activities include the traditional “lupakan,” “harana” (serenade), and pandangguhan (dance with lights). Along this is a food festival featuring sumptuous meal and delicacies all made from banana, and are being displayed on artistically-designed booths of which materials used are also purely from banana trees. A streetdancing is a main event at the festivity which is staged every 25th of January, in observance of the town’s founding day.

• SINKAW FESTIVAL - CALAPAN - MARCH 21

From “sining-kalabaw”, a creative artistic painting competition with no less than the carabaos as “canvasses”. This festival honors our native “beasts of the burden” as an eternally indespensible partner in farming and, essentially, a tribute to the indusrriousness of our farmers.

• DABALISTIHIT FESTIVAL OF NAUJAN SEPTEMBER 10

DaBaLisTiHit Festival featurizes different fresh water species found in Naujan Lake thru props and costumes in a street dance. DaBaLisTiHit is an acronym meaning DA for dalag; BA for banak ; LIS for banglis ; TI for tilapia; and HIT for hito.  For the constituents of Naujan, DaBaLISTiHit will also personify their struggle of recognizing of the importance of Naujan Lake. This will also dramatize the dignity of the fisherfolks and their role in the economic development of the municipality.

• KAPAKANAN FESTIVAL OF VICTORIA - SEPTEMBER 18

Although the main agricultural crop is rice, a great portion of the town’s land is planted with citrus and tropical fruits like rambutan, lanzones, and durian. These fruits are shipped in large quantities to Metro Manila and neighboring provinces. Victoria is presently known as the “fruit basket “of Oriental Mindoro.  Kapakyanan Festival is a fruit festival highlighting the abundance of fruit produce of the town. Kapakyanan is a Mangyan term which means “kasaganaan” or abundance.

• PAKAPYA AGTIKE FESTIVAL OF SOCORRO - JULY 25

In commemorating the town fiesta, a festival called “Pakapya-Agtike” was made. It is a ceremonial tradition practiced by Tadyawan Mangyans as a thankgiving ritual to praise the Almighty for bountiful harvests.

• SAB’UYAN FESTIVAL OF POLA - JUNE 25

Legend says that a long time ago, a fisherman saw a statue on the shore. The statue was identified later by the priest as the statue of St. John the Baptist and from then on it has become the town’s Patron Saint. Sab’uyan Festival takes place every June 24 in honor of the Patron Saint John the Baptist. The image is taken from the church and carried on procession to the sea where it was first found. It is accompanied by a band and set on a beautifully decorated big boat. The Sab’uyan begins. People in the boat throw seawater to one another chanting “Viva San Juan Bautista.” After the procession at sea, the image is carried around town. Dancers from various groups follow the image. The Sab’uyan continues. The splashing of water is received with good humor for the people believe that being doused brings good health, luck and happiness. The procession ends in the church plaza.

• BAHAGHARI FESTIVAL OF PINAMALAYAN - APRIL 25

According to an old story, the early settlers of this town came from Marinduque. While on this way to Mindoro on their bancas, they encountered turbulent weather and lost their direction. They prayed to God Almighty for deliverance and guidance, whereupon the weather cleared and a rainbow appeared on the horizon. The crew shouted “ipinamalay” meaning- it was made known. They followed the direction of the rainbow and landed at what is now Brgy. Lumangbayan and established the first settlement which they named Pinamalayan. The rainbow became the historical landmark of the town.  The yearly Bahaghari Festival is a colorful commemoration of the importance of the rainbow in the history of the town of Pinamalayan. The celebration includes a street dancing competition, cultural presentations, religious & cultural activities, and products & trade fair. Said activities showcase the values of the people, appreciation of their cultural heritage, the strength to face up to life’s challenges and unity and harmony as in the colors of the rainbow. Like the rainbow which rises to give color in the sky after torrent of rain, the Bahaghari Festival is a reflection of the continuing effort of the people of Pinamalayan that there is truly paradise at the end of the rainbow.

• KAWAYANAN FESTIVAL OF GLORIA - OCTOBER 1

Aside from its large produce of rice and coconut, Gloria has an exclusive reputation of possessing vast tracts of land growing different varieties of bamboo. The staging of the Kawayanan Festival focuses on the affluence of “kawayan” (bamboo) in the area. Similar to other festivals, it is being celebrated with streetdancing performances mostly by students from the different levels. Costumes are also made of bamboo materials. A trade fair is also a special attraction, with its varied display of products like furniture, souvenirs and novelties all made from bamboos.

• BASUDANI FESTIVAL OF BANSUD - JANUARY 19

A streetdance similar to Sinulog which depicts “thanksgiving” for the bountiful harvest. It is participated in by the different sectors of the community from school children to senior citizens. The event is annually held every January 19, the traditional town fiesta in honor of its Patron Sto. Niño.

• SULYOG FESTIVAL OF BONGABONG - MARCH 19

Sulyog is a combination of the Mangyan term “suli” meaning banana and the Tagalog word “niyog” for coconut. Said products are the main agricultural crops of the municipality. Presented in a street dance, Sulyog is a culmination of thanksgiving rites in honor of the town patron saint St. Joseph. The performers portray the harvesting of bananas and coconut, extracting coconut from shell and dried for copra, and the assorting of bananas for sale, and offering of these products to Saint Joseph.

• SIPAG FESTIVAL OF ROXAS - JULY 28

The municipality of Roxas serves as the center of trade and commerce in the southern part of Oriental Mindoro because of its bountiful products – palay and fruits like bananas, rambutan, lansones, mangoes, and aquatic harvests, and the different vegetables that abound in its farms. Sipag Festivals is basically a product festival featuring the various produce of the locality. S stands for saging (banana); I for isda (fish); P is for prutas (fruits); PA for palay; and G for gulay (vegetables). The term “sipag” embodies the industriousness and ingenuity of the people for which Roxas is proud of.

• PENETENSYA FESTIVAL OF MANSALAY

Celebrated yearly during the Holy Week, the Festival is an attraction to those who are interested in seeing a blooded persons sacrificing their selves with masks of leaves of tress in the hips. they are asking to God for favor or pleading rewards.

• BINIRAY FESTIVAL OF BULALACAO JUNE 29

Brought in by the early settlers who came from the Island of Panay, this festival is done in honor of the town’s patron saints Peter & Paul, and is a way of thanksgiving for the blessings from the sea. The celebration starts in the early hours of the morning, with a flotilla of intricately-decorated boats that will encircle Bulalacao Bay and, landing onshore after, will be met by the townsfolk. Marching will continue on the streets with the icons of the two saints greeted in religious manners by the devotees. A procession is done later at twilight and, ending at the church-ground, the traditional “putong” (crowning) of the patrons complete the final rituals, amidst songs and dances by children and adults alike.
A streetdancing is also staged during the day, participated in mostly by students in indigenous costumes. This festival is held every 29th of June, on the occasion of the town fiesta.

MS AILEEN BARENG

SENIOR TOURISM OFFICER

MUNICIPALITY OF PUERTO GALERA

(043)-287-3051 / 0927-4970023

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