By April marks the start of summer! And what’s a better way to greet the heat than being at a festival? Get good food, watch grand parades, and join the festivities! Here are the agri-related festivals for the month of April.
Malangsi Fishtival | Bayambang, Pangasinan
April 1 – 8
In the local dialect of Pangasinan, ‘malangsi’ means ‘fishy.’ The Malangsi Fishtival is a
celebration of Bayambang’s local products which are mudfish, catfish, and gurami, as well as thanksgiving for bountiful harvests from the lake.
The Fishtival is celebrated with street dances and float parades. The official website of Pangasinan declares that the festival is celebrated every April 1-8, but the dates may vary depending on the local government of Bayambang.
Streetdance at the Malangsi Fishtival with fishy props. (Bayambang Official Government Website)
Pandan Festival | Mapandan, Pangasinan
April 11 – 16
From its name, the town of Mapandan is blessed and surrounded by pandan. The leaves of this native palm is used by the town to add aroma to cooked rice, or is stripped and woven into mats.
The Pandan Festival is a celebration of the town’s agricultural wealth and the diligence of the citizens. The festival is celebrated with streetdance competitions and parades, all accompanied with pandan-related props and costumes.
Streetdance competition of the Pandan Festival highlighting the town’s specialty, pandan. (Municipality of Pandan Official Facebook Page)
Bangus Festival | Dagupan, Pangasinan
April 17
As the “Bangus Capital of the Philippines,’ Dagupan City celebrates a festival dedicated to its pride, the bangus or milkfish. It was finally re-opened in 2022 after two years of being discontinued due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The festival is also known as the Kalutan ed Dalan.
Visitors and locals come together to participate in the ten-day long celebration which are filled with various events like the bangusine foodfest (bangus cuisine), street dances, trade fairs, beauty pageants and so much more.
As the star of the show, the bangus is highlighted in every aspect of the town’s festivities. (Liezle Basa Inigo / Manila Bulletin Archive)
Mango-Bamboo Festival | San Carlos, Pangasinan
April 20 – 27
The Mango-Bamboo Festival of San Carlos is a week of festivities that highlight the town’s bamboo furniture and items and what they claim to be the “best carabao mangoes ever tasted.” The main objective of the festival is to promote and celebrate the skill and hard work of the workers of the industries, as well as setting opportunities for the two products to compete in the world market.
The festival is celebrated with parades, sports competitions, and beauty pageant and the Barangay Night, where the different barangays of San Carlos contend with their talents.
A performance by one of San Carlos’ barangays on the festival’s Barangay Night. (City Information Office San Carlos City Pangasinan)
Rodeo Masbateño Festival | Masbate
Second Week
Founded in 1992, the Rodeo Masbateño Festival was a way to uplift the cattle industry in the province. It’s been celebrated annually ever since. The festival is known for its events that showcase the locals’ skills in livestock handling, such as lassoing, wrestling, and riding in a rodeo competition.
People flock to watch the thrilling rodeo, as it is the highlight of the festival. However, the festival has also evolved to include events outside cattle, such as trade fairs, carnivals, livestock shows and animal health seminars.
On September 2, 2002, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 120 declaring Masbate as the Rodeo Capital of the Philippines.
Tourists from all over the country and abroad flock to Masbate to watch the festival’s rodeo competition. (Ben Dany / Manila Bulletin Archive)
Tanduyong Festival | San Jose, Nueva Ecija
4th Sunday
The Tanduyong Festival is San Jose City’s thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest of tanduyong, a variety of onion abundant in their area. Despite being known as the “Onion Capital of the Philippines,” the town is also a leading producer of garlic, rice, and other vegetables, which the Tanduyong Festival also celebrates.
During the festival, the streets are filled with people watching the street dancers adorned in colorful, native costumes. Other activities people look forward to are the beauty pageants, trade fairs and cultural shows.
Street dancers of the Tanduyong Festival dress up as onions to highlight the festival’s agricultural pride. (Ramon FVelasquez / Wikimedia)
Pinakbet Festival | Roxas, Isabela
April 23
Here’s a festival dedicated to celebrating a favorite dish of the Ilocanos, pinakbet! Roxas celebrates this festival annually to boost tourism for the town and to highlight the vegetables grown and included in the famous viand.
The Pinakbet Festival features street dances, foodfests and cooking competitions.
The Pinakbet Festival is celebrated for the deliciousness of the viand and to highlight the vegetables included in it. (Municipality of Roxas Official Website)
Sakayan Festival | Isabela, Basilan
April 25
Fishing is the primary means of livelihood of the locals of Isabela, which is why a festival is dedicated to the boats used by these fishermen. ‘Sakayan’ is the locals’ term for a small boat with an outrigger used for fishing, and the festival is named after it.
The Sakayan Festival is also their way to thank the generosity of the seas for a good harvest. It is celebrated with street dances and a wide variety of competitions such as photography and miniature boat-making.
The boats used by the fishermen of Isabela are the highlight of the Sakayan Festival. (Department of Tourism – Region 9 Office)
