Fiestas in the Philippines are a chaos of colors, costumes, confetti and circus tricks. For the jaded, they all start to look the same. But there’s still something about the rhythmic drum beats that fill the air, the complicated choreography, the lighting-quick costume changes, the traditional music segueing into popular dance tunes, and the smiles on the faces of dancers during provincial fiestas that I still find fascinating.
What’s most interesting to me is how fiestas make people proud of their town’s distinct product. Whether it’s the fishing industry in general, root crops, or figures from folklore, the street dances paying tribute to an aspect of a town’s culture really makes an effort to tell a story. Here are a few photos from the opening ceremonies of the Magayon Festival 2012 in Albay, Legazpi taken last April 10. The festival will last until May 10.
View the Magayon Festival 2012 Calendar of events.
hi Kara, thanks for coming over in Albay…hope you enjoyed your stay..keep coming…ALbay Mabuhay!
Love the first photo. Fiestas like this are the greatest thing about places outside of Metro Manila. People’s pride of their hometowns really shine through.
Thanks Rhondon. More power to Albay and I hope the rest of the festivities go well! 🙂
Thanks! Sadly a lot of the more popular festivals are getting overly commercialized. It’s nice to take part in fiestas that still celebrate the province’s/ town’s unique culture.
Tayo talaga ang Fiesta Capital of the World 🙂 Given the time and budget iikutin ko luzViMin to witness lahat ng festivals 🙂 Ganda ng mga shots Kara.
Hey Jeffrey, mahirap-hirap mapuntuhan lahat ng fiesta sa Pinas, sabay-sabay yung iba. Ang daming main festivals na hindi ko pa rin napupupuntahan likg Masskara and Ati-Atihan. Thanks!
Please pa feature Balitok ti Alicia, or Pagay Festival at Isabela. Thanks! If ever po na ma feature nga, that would help a lot.