This week’s festivals

Pulilan Carabao Festival

Carabaos lead a street parade in Pulilan, Bulacan province, to honor the patron saint of farmers, San Isidro Labrador. The festival’s main attractions are the kneeling of the carabaos before a church and the colorful floats.

May 15

Pahiyas Festival

San Isidro Labrador and the town’s abundant harvest are celebrated by the people of Lucban in Quezon province in one of the country’s biggest and most colorful festivals. Houses are festooned with fruits, flowers and “kiping,” colorful leaf-shaped rice-based wafers arranged like chandeliers.

May 16

Kagasangan Festival

Named after the Cebuano word which means “corals,” Kagasangan is a festival in the coastal town of Moalboal in Cebu province. One of the best diving sites in the Philippines, Moalboal boasts of having one of the most breathtaking coral formations, which give the locals a rich fish catch.

Lapyahan Festival

Lapyahan, Cebuano for shoreline, is celebrated in the town of San Remigio, which has the longest shoreline in Cebu province. The festival in honor of San Juan Nepomuceno also features street dancing parade where performances depict sea movements.

Compiled by Kathleen de Villa, Inquirer Research

Sources: Inquirer Archives, DOT, Official Calendar of the Republic, Historical Calendar (1521-1969), bulacan.gov.ph, sanremigio.gov.ph