Cebu Events and Festivals

Sinulog Festival: Cebu's biggest festival of the year occurs in January, with concerts, parties, street dancing and a Mardi Gras parade. This is carnival time in the southern Philippines and events are scheduled every day for a week. The main reason for the celebration, however, is to pay homage to the carved wooden image of the Santo Nino. This image of Jesus as a child is said to be miraculous and was a gift in the 16th century from the explorer Magellan. Pilgrims in their tens of thousands come to the Basilica Minore del Sto Nino to observe the sinulog, a dance performed while prayers and chants are recited by candlelight.

Chinese New Year: is celebrated with great festivity here, as it is in every country where Chinese immigrants have formed communities. This highlight of the annual Chinese calendar continues for at least three days to welcome in the lunar new year with feasts, fireworks and dragon and lion dances throughout the streets of Chinatown.

Holy Week in Bantayan: Bantayan Island is a perfect getaway during the Christian Holy Week. You can combine a holiday relaxing on the fine white sands of the beaches here, while enjoying small town life and the traditional religious celebrations of this period. Bantayan is Cebu’s oldest parish, and demonstrates its faith in a solemn carroza (carriage) procession. The carriages are elaborately decorated and illuminated, and carry life-sized images of biblical characters that played a part in the passion and death of Christ.

Tres de Abril Celebration: the 3^rd of April is the day for commemorating a battle opposing the Spanish in the south Philippines. Local residents, under the leadership of Leon Kilat, were the first outside Luzon to be successful in opposition to Spanish dominance.

Flower and Mango Festival: the flavourful Cebu mango is the star of this festival, held in May of each year. You can visit farms located in the hills to see how the mangoes are grown, and markets where you’ll find an enormous variety of cut flowers, including carnations and roses. The hilly areas are delightfully cool, and a refreshing respite from the heat of the low-lying areas.

Sandugo Festival: while many locals were fighting against Spanish domination, Bohol's Rajah Sikatuna chose to befriend Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the Spanish commander. The two decided to seal their friendship by becoming blood brothers, cutting their arms and allowing their blood to flow into a container. Wine was added to the blood, and then they drank this mixture as a gesture of peace between the local people and the Spanish. This event is celebrated with much pageantry.

Mantawi Festival: Mandaue City celebrates its historical importance as a port where Spanish galleons once docked with their cargoes of precious spices. Events include a colourful parade through the streets of the city. This day, known as Charter Day, showcases the city’s growth with moving dioramas on numerous floats.

Cordova Dinagat Festival: the town of Cordova celebrates its fishermen and gives thanks for the bounty from the sea during this annual festival. The patron saint of the town, San Rogue, is honoured with prayers and ritual dances, giving him credit for the town’s good fortunes. Bancas with fishing nets are paraded through the streets.

Visayas Food Festival: gastronomic treats of the Visayan Islands are featured at this festival. The events are organised by the area’s top restaurants and hotels, with food choices ranging from Chinese noodles and barbecue, to grilled meats and seafood. A particular treat is kinilaw, which is raw seafood marinated in vinegar, the Philippine version of sushi.

Ah, Lechon: in Talisay City you can savour the dish for which this area is known: herb-stuffed roast pig that’s cooked to a golden brown with crispy skin. This dish is known as lechon, and families carefully guard their special recipes for its preparation over generations.

Lapu-Lapu City Fiesta: the Virgin of the Rule is honoured during this festival, in very colourful rites. The Virgin is patron of Lapu-Lapu City, and is credited with the prosperity that has been achieved by this previously small and poor fishing village. A procession of fishing boats parades through the harbour as part of the celebrations.

Christmas: a large percentage of the population in Cebu is Christian. The celebration of the Christmas season typically begins with carolling, musical performances in the churches and shopping centres, and finishes with large family gatherings and feasts. Daily services are held at churches throughout the region for the nine days leading up to Christmas. After the services, hot cocoa and rice cakes are sold and variations of the traditional belen, life-sized nativity scenes, are performed on the streets.