Colorful Festivals in Pangasinan

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COLORFUL FESTIVALS IN PANGASINAN

Bagoong Festival

Photo from: philstar.com

Bagoong making is the main business and source of income of almost all the people here in our place Pangapisan North, Lingayen, Pangasinan and we are very proud that we have the best quality of “bagoong” all over the Philippines.

The year 2010 is very memorable year for everyone of us here because this is the first celebration ever of the “Bagoong Festival”.

Dumayo Festival

Photo from: urdanetacity.blogspot.com

Urdaneta City celebrates Dumayo Festival annually to give thanks for the blessings that the city has received throughout the years.

Other activities that gave meaning to the celebration were: Basbas ng Pag-iisang Dibdib (free mass wedding),bloodletting activity, tree planting for environment preservation,jobs fair and fun run for a cause.

Some of the highlight of this event are the grand parade where carabaos adorned with various ornaments were featured. And the street dancers from the city and street dancers (guest) from other municipality. Read More: asensopangasinan.com

Mango-Bamboo Festival

Photo from: sundaypunch.prepys.com

The Mango-Bamboo Festival is not just meant to be a festival or entertainment event. It was called Mango-Bamboo Festival because the two products have a greater chance to compete in the world market.

Finally in April 2001, a strategy to showcase the Mango-Bamboo Festival was launched. And this is now what people look forward to – the Mango-Bamboo Festival Street Dancing – the inherent love for fiestas of the Carlenans served as an inspiration for Mayor Reselluelo to hold the opening salvo on the last Saturday of April 2001 when San Carlos City celebrates its annual city fiesta. Read More: sancarlospangasinan.com

Pandan Festival

Photo from: asensopangasinan.com

A festival every April 11-16 depicting the origin of the place “Pandan”, and its various uses, showcasing the town’s agricultural wealth. The festival highlights the sweets, origin and their uses in the collective memory of the people of Mapandan. Read More: squidoo.com

Bangus (Milkfish) Festival

Photo from: aboutph.com

Bangus Festival is one of the major and most exciting festivals in the Philippines worth visiting. The yearly euphoria envelops the city of Dagupan with a high level of excitement as the street dancers, in their most striking costumes, depict the harvest of bangus. Learn the various ways of cooking bangus in 101 ways while indulging in its succulent taste. See skilled Dagupeños speedily classify, debone and eat bangus. Discover the most beautiful, longest and heaviest bangus. Witness 10,000 pieces of Dagupan bangus simultaneously being grilled in a scorching kilometer stretch, their mouth-watering aroma wafting through the air. The Bangus Festival was conceptualized in August 2001 and was subsequently launched in 2002 as a part of the annual Pista’y Dayat celebration. Today, the Festival has created a mark and culture of its own, earning for itself a global reputation. And in a reversal of roles, the Pista’y Dayat has been made part of the more popular Bangus Festival. Undeniably, the Bangus Festival has become the best advertisement for the world’s tastiest milkfish: Dagupan Bangus. Read More: dagupan.gov.ph

Patupat Festival

Photo from: outoftownblog.com

Patupat, have you heard that named before? It was a sweet and delicious food where wrapped in banana or coconut leaves. In Pozorrubio, it was made from sticky rice and cooked in boiling water sugarcane-juice, mostly in big pots. The wrapped around the patupat is made from young coconut leaves where done by knotted by both ends which the midribs has been removed. Then the knots are removed and then joined to make a bag for the patupat.

This food is the main food for the festival of the Pozorrubio. This has been held during the month of January. It serves in a long table where the people and visitors of Pozorrubio can join and taste the sweetness of the Patupat. Read More: pozorrubians.blogspot.com

Pistay Dayat (Feast of the Sea)

Photo from: blackhowling78.multiply.com

The annual coastal celebration of communities lining the Lingayen Gulf is known as “Pista’y Dayat.” According to old fisherfolks of Lingayen, this started in the early 1960’s as a simple, limited shoreline community ritual of prayers, meals and merriment, on or about May 1. Festivities started with Holy Mass, followed by a Philippine Airforce skydiving exhibition. The Mutya ng Dagat, a beauty contest participated in by local maidens, served as culminating event. Since then, Dagupeños, local visitors and foreign tourists have eagerly awaited this annual festival which, essentially, gives them the opportunity to participate in an array of exciting activities. Colorful beach umbrellas and beach balls, a dip in the beach, walks along the shore, bodies basking in the sun, sandcastles, sailing bancas, sea shells, beach hats, sarongs, vendors, picture-taking, sandy feet and the deep blue-sea – all these make Pista’y Dayat a summer treat for all. In 2002, Dagupan City held the first Bangus Festival during and around the celebration of Pista’y Dayat. Since then, it has been the annual festival of the seas, differentiating the city’s celebration from that of other coastal communities along Lingayen Gulf. Read More: dagupan.gov.ph

Mangunguna Festival

Photo from: asensopangasinan.com

Bolinao Pangasinan holds grand fiesta named “Mangunguna Festival”. In Bolinao “mangunguna” means a fisherman. They celebrate Mangunguna Festival to give tribute to the fishing and aquaculture industry of the town, which is the number one source of livelihood of the community in Bolinao. It is a one week celebration from April 9 to April 14. Read More: asensopangasinan.com

Sigay Festival

Photo from: philstar.com

One of the highlights of BinmaleySigay Festival is the Fluvial Parade where various Motor boats from different Barangays of Binmaley participated. Fluvial Parade was scheduled January 28, 2012, it was also the date of the arrival of the People’s champ Manny Pacquiao for the opening of Triangle I Project and the newly renovated museum of Binmaley. Read More: asensopangasinan.com

Calasiao Puto Festival

Photo from: pangasinantourism.com

The town of Calasiao, aside from being famous for its miraculous shrine of Señor Divino Tesoro is also touted as the center of “Best Puto” in the country. The first Calasiao Puto Festival was held on Dec. 28, 2002.

Puto here is considered as the “white gold” of the town and sold 24 hours a day along the rows of stalls at the town proper . It is so delicious because this peso-size product is soft as a marshmallow, white as a snow, and has a distinct taste and the secrets of cooking it remain unrevealed up to now by its makers. Read More: calasiao.0fees.net

Malangsi Festival

Photo from: pangasinantoday.webnode.com

Known for their flavorful fermented fish (“buro” for the locals), this town pays homage to its harvests from the Mangabul Lake and features freshwater fishies ibn its culinary and streetdancing competitions, and the requisite longest grill. Read More: pangasinantourism.com

Galicayo Festival

Photo from: skyscrapercity.com

Thousands of devotees of the Virgin of Manaoag, renowned among Catholic faithful for her many miracles, will convene in the Pangasinan town named after her for one its biggest annual celebrations on April 25.

The 400-year-old ivory statue, adorned with precious antique stones donated by devotees over many generations, continues to attract thousands of devotees every weekday and hundreds of thousands on weekends. Read More: galicayo.blogspot.com

Goat Festival

Photo from: pangasinan.gov.ph

It is generally believed that Balungao was officially founded in the year 1815. The town was still a part of Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija but, considering its geographical location, it was segregated from the township of Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija in the later part of the 18th century. Shortly after the revolution, it was annexed to the Municipality of Rosales and it was then named “Panaclaban”. However, by virtue of a Spanish Royal Family Decree, Balungao became an independent town.

The town of Balungao got its unique name from a young widowed, beautiful lass. People were fascinated by her beauty and soon named her “BALUN-UGAW” in the native dialect, meaning “young widower”. So the place became famous on the tongues of many – whenever one goes to this place, they would call it “BALUNGAO”, derived from the word “BALUN-UGAW”. Read More: pangasinan.gov.ph

Talong Festival

Photo from: pangasinantourism.com

Thousands of local and foreign tourists flocked to Villasis, Pangasinan to witness the first “Talong” (Eggplant) Festival in this agricultural town, the “Vegetable Basket” of the North.

The festival was part of the town’s January fiesta celebration. Among the highlights were the inauguration of the Villasis Vegetable Trading Post or Bagsakan and the setting up of a one-kilometer-long Talong Grill to help the town establish its own identity. Almost 1.5 kilometers of grilled talong were grilled on the national highway of Villasis and thousands of tourists enjoyed the grilled egetable with rice. A demonstration called 101 Ways to Cook Talong was also held. Read More: filipinojournal.com

Corn Festival

Photo from: iameunicekyna.blogspot.com

Every March 26th, the residents of Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan grill more than 6,000 ears of corn on the roadside as they celebrate the Corn Festival coinciding with the town’s founding anniversary.

Locally known as the town Fiesta, various festivities are held to commemorate and honor the chosen Patron Saint. Majority of town fiestas are celebrated during the month of May, the midst of summer vacation and the time when the festival of Flores de Mayo is held. Read More: allvoices.com