It’s the time of the year folks. The stage is set for this year’s World Pyro Olympics.

Prepare for a more explosive, more spectacular experience! Witness the country’s first pyromusical competition at the Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

The world’s best teams will showcase their artistry and technical skill by shooting dazzling fireworks synchronized with musical scores. The competition’s new venue, a departure from the past years’ water-based firing, will allow for more creativity and versatility in the use of ground level and special effects.

World Pyro Olympics

World Pyro Olympics Schedule of Shows by Country:

November 21 – Germany, China
November 28 – Japan, Australia
December 5 – Canada, Italy
December 12 -South Korea, USA
December 19 – Fellowship of Fire, Philippines

Ticket Prices:

Regular Pass – Php200, Php500, Php1500 (VIP)
Season Pass (All Shows) – Php800, Php2000, Php6000 (VIP)

All VIP Tickets are reserved seats and come with Food Package from Via Mare.

Reservations – Please call 568-6908 or 384-0239

If you’re planning to spend time with your friends or families at Enchanted Kingdom this month, you couldn’t come at a better time. Enchanted Kingdom celebrates its 14th year anniversary this October which is loaded with a whole lot of exciting events.

To start off, the Regular Day Pass is now priced at P320 for weekdays and P380 during weekends for the whole month of October to commemorate the original ticket price when Enchanted Kingdom opened in 1995.

Grand Wizardry Competition

A fireworks competition will be held for the whole month of October and every weekend starting Oct. 10, you will see a triple dose of fireworks as pyrotechnicians all over the country will be showcasing their expertise.

Then on October 24, 6 finalists will be vying for the grand prize so expect a whole lot more of spectacular display of lights.

Otaku Kingdom

The 2nd annual cosplaying event for Enchanted Kingdom will take place on October 18. “Otaku Kingdom” will gather animé, manga enthusiasts, movie & toy hobbyists and cosplayers and there will be toy & manga exhibits, film showings, drawing & gaming contests, animé bands and Woodstock, the much-awaited grand cosplay contest and parade in the afternoon.

Guests wearing a full otaku costume can enter the park for FREE. They can also upgrade their tickets into a Regular Day Pass for only P250. Just head to the registration area at the front of the park from 10AM to 5PM.

Student Sembreak Anniversary Blowout

From October 1 to November 15, students get to avail the Regular Day Pass at a discount. It will be P275 during weekdays and only P335 on weekends. This is exclusive to students who must present a valid ID or certificate of registration/enrollment.

Only two tickets can be purchased per ID so that’s enough to bring the whole barkada to Enchanted Kingdom.

Enchanted Kingdom’s Princess 2009

The Grand Coronation Night for the Search for Enchanted Kingdom’s Princess 2009 will take place on October 25. Girls 6 to 10 years will be competing for the title of EK Princess 2009 and will get a chance to win cash, EK Privilege Cards and other fabulous prizes.

Mardi Gras Halo-ween

On October 31 to November 2, a haloween costume party will take place at the park. Kids and teens ages 0-19 are welcome to join the Mardi Gras Halo-ween and can enter the park for free if they come in their Mardi Gras costume.

Park Schedule

From now until December 18, Enchanted Kingdom is open Thursdays to Fridays from 12NN to 7PM and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 11AM to 9PM with Fireworks Display at 8PM.

For more info, visit www.enchantedkingdom.com.ph.

The country’s biggest festival is set to take the center stage once again. The Cebu Sinulog Festival features scores of contingents coming from within and outside Cebu. Sinulog is prayer dance ritual characterized by the movement of two steps forward and one step backward imitating the rush of the river, hence, its name.

The grand parade of Sinulog Festival of Cebu is usually held on the third Sunday of January, but other activites are held prior to the grand highlight light the fluvial parade, search of the Sinulog Festival queen, the Sinulog sa Baranggay, Sinulog sa Lalawigan, the nine-day novena and a whole lot more.

Many dance troupes have actually started their dance rehearsals as early as now. Last year’s Sinulog Festival Free Interpretation Category Champion, Lumad Basakanon have actually confirmed that they are now rehearsing their dance routine for the Sinulog Festival 2009

Check the Sinulog 2009 Schedule for details

Upcoming Events

Be prepared as the country’s biggest, loudest, and the most colorful festivals will once again converge at the Philippine capital of Manila for the annual Aliwan Fiesta 2008.

This year, the Aliwan 2008 is slated May 1-3. The Aliwan Festival is organized by the media outfit, Manila Broadcasting Company. The Aliwan Fiesta is actually made up of three parts, the beauty pageant known as the Reyna ng Aliwan, the Float competition and the street dance competition of the various festivals from all over Luzon Visayas and Mindanao.

The list of the 2007 Aliwan Fiesta winners can be found here

This year, 27 festivals will be seeing action during the Grand Streetdance competition

1. Pakalog sa pasig
2. pangisdaan – navotas
3. panagbenga – baguio
4. Lang-ay – bontoc
5. Pamulinawen – laoag
6. Gakit – Angadanan, isabela
7. Desposorio – hagonoy bulacan
8. boling boling – catanauan quezon
9. Peñafrancia voyadores and pilgrims festival – naga
10. pintaflores – san carlos , negros occidental
11. saad – Leganes, iloilo
12 Dinagyang 2010 – iloilo
13. Halad – midsayap
14. Sinulog – cebu city
15. Sinulog sa Carmen – Carmen, cebu
16. Alikaraw – hilongos Leyte
17 Buyogan – Abuyog Leyte
18 Bakhawan – Zamboanga Sibugay
19. Shariff Kabunsuan festival – Cotabato City
20. Meguyaya – Upi, Shariff Kabunsuan
21. Kang’Gelal – Sultan Kudarat
22. Buklod – Parang Maguindanao
23. Kalilintad – Mamasapano, Maguindanao
24. Lami Lamihan – Lamitan Basilan
25. Kasag Festival – Banate, Iloilo **(unconfirmed)
26. Kadayawan – Davao City
27 Zamboanga Hermosa – Zamboanga City **(unconfirmed)

The highlight of the Aliwan Festival is the grand streetdance competition on May 3, 2008. The streetdance will start from the Quirino Grandstand and will end at the Aliw Theater, beside the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Based on the last 2 Aliwan Fiestas I have witnessed, there will be three judging areas: The Quirino Grandstand and the Aliw Theater as the main judging areas and the area right in front of the Rajah Sulayman Fountain in Malate for the streetdance competition. The Aliwan Fiesta 2008 Streetdance parade will start at 4PM.

For the complete coverage of the 2008 Aliwan Fiesta, please go to the Aliwan Fiesta page

For more travel tales, click here

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

Here are some tips for a great Panagbenga 2008 experience in Baguio!

Update: Flower Festival photos 2009 – ka edong

1.) Know the schedules of the parades. There are two highlight parades at the Panagbenga.
The first is the grand parade of street dancing where schools compete on best marching band and street dancing performance.
The second is the parade of floats where different groups and commercial establishments flaunt their floats decorated with thousands of flowers.

The two parades happen on different days. Best to catch both of these parades. Here’s the schedule for Panagbenga 2008

2.) Find accommodations as close to the city center as possible. On parade days, traffic rolls to a halt. You don’t want to spend an hour in a car stuck in traffic trying to catch the parade at Session Road. Best to walk to the parade area, and easiest to do that if you’re staying near the city center. You can choose from the many hotels in Baguio, or you can try your luck finding a transient house close to the city center.

3.) Be mobile. Travel light so that you can walk around to see the parades from different vantage points. Wear comfortable shoes. Get used to walking, it’s a good way to see the beauty of the city center.

4.) Bring your camera and feast in the beautiful sights! Take close up shots (if you can) of the street dancers. Fill the frame with colors of flowers and costumes. Smile at the street dancers so that they will smile back at you for a great photo!

5.) Leave the babies behind. It’s not the best time to bring babies and very young kids. The babies won’t enjoy the parade, anyway. Do yourself a favor and excuse the kids from the hassle of the very thick crowd during the parade.

6.) Catch the parades at the culmination area – usually Melvin Jones field for the parade of floats and the athletic bowl for the grand parade and street dancing. The culmination area is a good place to have photos with the floats and the street dancers.

7.) Don’t pick the flowers! The floats are for everybody to appreciate and for nobody to take home. (Just take home the photos). Don’t pick the flowers, leave them there for everybody else to enjoy.

8.) Eat local food. Try Oh My Gulay restaurant at the top floor of La Azotea at Session road. Try Baguo’s strawberries, strawberry flavored taho, binatog, afternoon street food (the exotic isaw and the likes) and the plethora of other kakanins in Baguio.

9.) Don’t forget to book your return bus tickets. Although Victory Liner has mastered the art of transporting a huge number of tourists during events like this, it’s still best to book your return tickets in advance.

10.) Smile, let your hair down and enjoy! Life is good, God is good!

ka edong
vivo

I’m back here in Manila. Anyway the Dinagyang Festival 2008 in Iloilo City Philippines was a huge success. Thousands of locals, and foreign tourists flocked to Iloilo to witness the annual celebration of the Dinagyang Festival.

Anyway, here’s the list of winners of yesterday’s competition:

GRAND CHAMPION: Tribu Paghidaet

1st runner-up, Tribu Ilonganon

2nd runner-up, Tribu Taga Jaro

More Dinagyang stories here

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

Yesterday, I went to Makati City, Philippines to witness the Caracol Festival. The first time I heard of these festival was in 2006, but I wasn’t able to witness it because I went to Bacolod then. Last year I also skipped this event for Cebu Sinulog Festival. Now, I no longer have any reasons for skipping this event. It’s actually my first time seeing this parade.

Caracol is derived from a Spanish word meaning “Snail.” As the name implies, the theme of the festival revolves around the preservation of the Mother Earth. Young kids from elementary schools as well as the High School and College students all dressed up in various Mother Nature theme. There were kids dressed as bees, sea horses, jellyfish, birds, tarsiers, flowers and grasshoppers. There we also some dressed as rice planters and illegal wood cutters to complete the whole picture.

The parade started late because of the drizzle. That’s fine. I know the organizers a re keen in protecting the well-being of these students. What really disappointed me is that these so-called “dancers” just walked down the streets of Makati Avenue instead of dancing. They just did their presentation at the judging area near the Park Square 1 building, were only a few people got to witness. The place is so small, and the view is obstructed by several trees and a lamp post. I guess the number of people who watched in the street is far greater than the number of the people cramped in the judging area. That is why they should have added street dance criteria to their judging mechanics.

Another thing that pissed me off is the power fluctuation in the judging area. I did not finish the performances at the judging area, but I have seen at least two power fluctuations which lead to two contingents dancing and performing their routine even without the music.

I see a big potential in this festival. I just hope that the organizers can very well improve it for the next year’s edition. And have a street dance, please.

View the Caracol Festival Photo Slideshow here

More travel tales here.

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

The City if San Fernando in the province of Pampanga will once again shine in its brightest as it holds the annual Ligligan Parul or the Giant Lantern Festival. The highlights of the event will be held at the SM San Fernando Ampitheater at around 7PM. Be there early as large crowds are expected to witness this event.

Scene from the 2005 Ligligan Parul in San Fernando

See how the magic of the Kapampangan works when Christmas lanterns or Parol as high as 18 feet twinkle its lights to the tune of Christmas songs. See how thousands of lamp bulbs is tranformed into a visual masterpiece.

San Fernando, Pampanga is known for making attractive and very colorful Christmas lanterns known in Filipino as Parol. Because of this, the Kapampangan Capital City has been known as the Christmas Capital of the Philippines.

More travel tales here

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

The 7-day Western Visayas Tourism Assembly with the theme, “Entrepreneurial Tourism: Beyond Tourist Arrivals”, is slated on November 12 – 18 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

The assembly aims to highlight, promote and showcase the diversity of the tourism attractions, services and facilities of the different areas of Region VI. It is intended to be a colorful display of destination attractions, cultural and historical events, shopping and investment opportunities.

Some of the highlights of the assembly are the Regional Tourism Fair and Cultural Showcase on November 12 – 18 at SM City Bacolod, Regional Travel Exchange on November 12 – 14 at Sugarland Hotel, Regional Tourism Congress on November 14 at L’Fisher Hotel, Tourism Excellence Awards on November 14 at Nature’s Village Resort, Talisay City, Search for Ms. WV Tourism on November 15 at the Provincial Capitol, and Regional Parade of Festivals on November 16.

The assembly is sponsored by the Department of Tourism – VI, Bacolod City Government, Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, Negros Island Tourism Inc., Association of Tourism Officers of Negros Occ. (ATONO) in cooperation with Naitas Hrano, Women in Travel in Bacolod.

For information, the Negros Occ. Tourism Center can be reached through 433-2515 and 709-8775 or e-mail at tourism_negocc@yahoo.com.

- Capitol News

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

April 28, 2007 was no ordinary date in the Philippine calendar. It was the day when the 5th Aliwan Fiesta was held in Manila, Philippines.

Aliwan Fiesta is an event organized by the media outfit Manila Broadcasting Corporation. It’s aim is to bring all the festivals of the country in Manila for a one big festival championship. As expected, thousands drove to the streets of Manila, from Quirino Grandstand, down to the Aliw Theater in CCP Complex.

Dancing for the million peso grand prize, the Sinulog Festival of Cebu City

22 Festivals competed for the 1Million Peso Grand Prize and the bragging rights as the Philippines’ Best Festival. Competing delegations all came in from as far as Baguio City in the north, and Maguindanao in the south.

Iloilo City’s Dinagyang Festival

For the first time in the short history of Aliwan Fiesta, Cebu City’s Sinulog Festival represented by the group Lumad Basakanon won the grand title for two straight years now. This year’s first runner up and winner of half a million pesos is Iloilo City’s Dinagyang Festival. The third place winner is Hilongos, Leyte’s Alikaraw Festival. It was the first time that Alikaraw Festival joined the Aliwan, and yet they were able to land in the top three already.

First-timer AlikarawFestival of Hilongos, Leyte

Various festivals have showcased the unique culture in their respective cities and provinces. The Pasalamat Festival of Pagadian City is a celebration of thanksgiving for a bountiful fish catch. The Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City portrays how an ati, a dark skinned native of Panay dressed up in full regalia to conform to the norms of modernity. The Disposorio Festival of Hagonoy Bulacan retells the unique courtship culture the Tagalogs have, commonly known as the pamamanhikan. the Sinulog Festival tells the story of fisherman who went out to sea but didn’t catch any fish at all. They all prayed to the Santo Niño, and was later blessed with an abundant catch.

For more Aliwan Fiesta update, click here

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga