Galicayo Festival in Pangasinan

Planning a trip? Those who love to travel know the essence of all travel is about you and your enjoyment. Travelers know that the destination is a major part in planning a trip, experiencing and delving deeper into an unfamiliar places, people and culture is paramount.

Expand your horizons and set your sight to the Philippines, an off the beaten path travel site! An undiscovered paradise made of thousands of islands and white sand beaches all around! A tiny dot in the map of the world, and yet a haven for travelers, backpackers, retirees and even passersby.

It offers awesome tourist attractions, magnificent beaches, hot spring resorts, colorful festivals, hundreds of scenic spots and world-class hotels and facilities. Not to mention the tropical climate, the affordable prices as well as the friendly and hospitable, English-speaking people! You will be glad you came, and we’re sure, you WILL come back for more FUN in the Philippines!

GALICAYO FESTIVAL

In the Pangasinan dialect, galicayo means “come here” while manaoag means “to call.” Both words were derived from stories on the Virgin Mary’s apparition in Manaoag where she called on the people to come and build a church.

The apparitions and subsequent miraculous events, which occurred in the late 1500s, inspired the Dominicans to build the church of Our Lady of Manaoag in 1913.

Since then, the town was named “Manaoag” as pilgrims from all over the country and even abroad visit the place for prayer and thanksgiving.

Thus, the weeklong Galicayo Festival, which began last Sunday, is a unique celebration of faith, culture and the arts in honor of Our Lady of Manaoag.

The Experience

Galicayo Festival is known as Pangasinan’s answer to other folk-religious fiestas in other parts of the country, with a host of interesting activities celebrating the province’s culture and traditions.

Fittingly, it also serves to usher in the Yuletide season as highlighted by the simultaneous lighting of the provincial Christmas tree and other displays.

Other highlights include street-dancing competitions, praise fests by different religious groups, a festival of Pangasinan cuisine, lantern parades, street rave parties, and the Bayanihan Dancers’ Handog Sayaw kay Inay Maria. Read More: https://www.asensopangasinan.com/galicayo-festival-of-manaoag/