GenSan Tuna Festival

One of the more interesting fiestas in the Philippines is the Tuna Festival in General Santos City. Most probably, this celebration was inspired by the fact that this particular city is referred to as the country’s Tuna Capital. The city’s contribution to the overall revenues of the government deserves to be honored as it operates a prosperous tuna industry. The tuna trade is responsible for generating at least 100,000 employment opportunities, either direct or indirect for its local populace including the nearby vicinities.

A parade normally opens the festivity to begin this fiesta. The students in General Santos, from elementary to high school levels, energetically perform dancing to upbeat music. The floats displayed during the parade are giant replicas of tuna together with its fellow creatures from the sea. After enjoying the visual delights, you should then try to satisfy your taste buds with the various tuna delicacies prepared by the people there.
The Tuna Festival is something you would find pleasure participating as there are many activities designed to make sure that everyone has a memorable time. You can attend the parties, join in the contests and watch the free shows that the committee in charge of this fiesta has planned for its numerous visitors.

 SARANGANI BAY FESTIVAL

Sarangani Bay has a sightings of rich marine wildlife such as the giant squid, whale shark, pygmy sperm whale, lemon-headed whale, marine turtles, sea cows and dolphins.  Due to this the World Wildlife Fund conducted a very thorough awareness campaign on how to protect the biodiversity of the Bay.  This had become also the main reason why Governor Migs Dominguez created the festival to promote eco-tourism while conserving it's natural wonders.
Check the schedule of activities and mark your calendar as early as today for the upcoming Sarangani Bay Festival 2011.  Grab those vacation and sick leave form and enjoy the biggest and grandest beach party in Southern Mindanao.  This is celebration of the Provincial Chartered Anniversary celebrated every May 19.  Mostly of the venue are situated in the Glan, Sarangani Province because of the unexpected growth of visitors coming from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and even other countries.  Truly the white sand beach and crystal water of the Sarangani Bay have captured the minds and heart of those who had visited the place; no wonder those people keep on promoting the Glan, Sarangani Province in their own little way.  What's more enticing to hear was the triple increase of the visitors year after year especially on the white water tubing of the Maitum Pangi River, snorkeling in the Tuka Beach Resort and Lemlunay Dive Resort and fun earth activities like Trekking and Caving.  Truly Sarangani province has a lot of improvements for the past few years and if you still haven't gone by to these areas, then go grab your backpack and enjoy the serenity of the place.

AKLAN ATI-ATIHAN FESTIVAL

Ati-atihan is a very well known and one of the oldest festival in the Philippines. Ati-atihan’s been active 200 years before the Spaniards came to the Philippines. The Ati-Atihan was originally a pagan festival from this tribe practicing Animism, and their worshiping their anito god. Spanish missionaries gradually added a Christian meaning. Today, the Ati-Atihan is celebrated as a religious festival.

DAVAO KADAYAWAN FESTIVAL

Davao City is now all set for its annual celebration of the Kadayawan festival with this year’s theme “Nahiusang Katawhan  Nakigdait sa Kalibutan” (“One People in  Communion with the  Earth”). The heritage land of the indigenous people has always been that significant through time. Davao as a homeland of these indigenous people served as the land where their existence evolved and it nestled in the Southern part of the Philippines. This celebration expresses gratitude for the gift of nature, richness of culture, tranquility of the land and for the bountiful harvests. It also strengthens the solidarity despite of trials and other disturbances. It proves that through the years, Davao still preserves its cultural heritage. Thus, continue to progress while paying tribute to the indigenous groups which has made Davao as the core of their existence. Due to the alarming climate change, this celebration awakens the people of Davao to be responsible to the call of time.

BAGIUO PENAGBENGA FLOWER FESTIVAL

The Panagbenga Festival is held yearly during the month of February. The celebrations are held for over a month and peak periods are the weekends. The Panagbenga Festival showcases the many floral floats and native dances. The fragrant smells that could be presently teasing olfactory senses are probably less from the now-dried flowers from Valentine's Day than air floating all the way from Baguio City. At this time of year, the City of Pines is almost surely in flower fury over Panagbenga festival, the city's biggest festival.

Panagbenga is a kankanaey term for "a season of blooming." It is also known as the Baguio Flower Festival, a homage to the beautiful flowers the city is famous for as well as a celebration of Baguio's re-establishment. Since February 1995, it has been held to help Baguio forget the 1990 earthquake that distressed much of the city.

Panagbenga festival will have spectators enjoying a multiple floral and float parades over two days. The Baguio Flower Festival Association (BFFA) will have a street dancing parade and band exhibition. The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation (BFFF), meanwhile, will hold a parade. So where should spectators be stationed to not miss any of the float and floral parades? Session Road and Burnham Park. A search for the Mr. and Ms. Baguio Flower Festival, FM Panagbenga Pop Fiesta, Skateboard competition and Dolls of Japan exhibit were added to the BFFA calendar. The festival is supported by constituents of La Trinidad, La Union, Pangasinan, Marinduque and Masbate.

Often a Cañao is an undertaken to kick-off & celebrate the occasion. A Cañao is a dance that also is regularly performed at special occasions such as fiestas. In this two-person dance, the men hang blankets usually woven with an indigenous pattern or design-over each shoulder. The woman wraps a single similar blanket around her. The man leads her and dances in a circle with a hop-skip tempo to the beat of sticks and gongs. The dance must continue until the viewers decide to honor the dancers twice with a shout of "Ooo wag, hoy! hoy!" Once this has happened, the dancers can stop. It is an honor to be invited to join the dance, and elders and other respected members of the community are expected to join in at every occasion.