Study Notes in PHYICAL EDUCATION – Grade 9

3rd Quarter
Lesson: Social Skills through Festival Dances
Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

 Describe the nature and background of festival dances
 Discuss the styles and culture depicted in Filipino festival dances during
fiesta celebrations in different regions

The Philippines has a very rich culture, with many festivals in many parts of
the country throughout the year. A festival is a formal way of celebrating that
rich culture, and each city or province has a unique way of doing it. It is also an
event that showcases the beauty, unity, and creativity of a community. Some of
these festivals have been discussed in your previous Arts classes. Let’s revisit
some of them.

 Filipino Fiestas and Festival Dances

1. Ati-atihan Festival is usually

celebrated in Aklan and Panay
island every third week of January.
This is celebrated in honor of the
image of the Santo Niño.

The biggest celebration is held during

the third Sunday of January in the
town of Kalibo, the province’s
capital. The name Ati-Atihan means
"to imitate Ati", the local name of the
Aeta people, the first settlers of Panay Island and other parts of the archipelago.
The festivity was originally a pagan celebration to commemorate the Barter of
Panay, where the Aeta accepted gifts from Bornean chieftains called Datu,
who fled with their families to escape a tyrannical ruler, in exchange for being
allowed to dwell in the Aeta’s lands. They celebrated with dancing and music,
with the Borneans having painted their bodies with soot to show their
gratefulness and camaraderie with the Aeta who had dark skin. Later on, the
festivity was given a different meaning by the church by celebrating the
acceptance of Christianity, as symbolized by carrying an image of the Holy
Child or Infant Jesus during the procession.

2. The Sinulog Festival happens in Cebu

every third Sunday of January. This is the
Cebuanos’ way of honoring the image of
the Santo Niño. It is one of the most
colorful festivals in the Philippines. Sinulog
comes from the Cebuano word “sulog”
which means “like water current
movement” which depicts the forward-
backward step of Sinulog dance.

Sinulog is held in celebration of one of

the country’s most famous historic relics: the Santo Niño de Cebú. This was the
statue of the baby Jesus that was handed to the Rajah Humabon of Cebu by
the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.
 This was one of the most important events in the religious history of the
Philippines as it paved the way to the birth of Christianity in the country.

At the moment of receiving the holy image, it was said that Queen Juana,
the main consort of Rajah Humabon, danced with joy holding this image of the
child Jesus.

The other natives followed her example, and this event was regarded as
the first Sinulog dance. The same event was used as the basis for most Sinulog
dances.

The Sinulog dance steps are also

believed to originate from Baladhay,
Rajah Humabon's adviser. When
Baladhay got sick, Humabon ordered
his tribe to bring Baladhay into a room
where the Santo Niño was enthroned.

After a few days, Baladhay was

heard shouting and was found
dancing by the native tribe. Baladhay
was asked as to why was he was
shouting and dancing. He pointed at the image of the holy Jesus and explained
that baby Jesus was tickling him.

In turn, Baladhay danced with the little child and explained that he was
dancing the movements of the river. To this day, the two-steps forward, the one-
step backward movement is still used by Santo Niño devotees who believe that
it was the Santo Niño's choice to have Baladhay dance.

3. The MassKara Festival One of

the biggest and most awaited
events in the Philippines is the
MassKara Festival that will let you
see the city at its liveliest. MassKara
is derived from the words “mass”
meaning “many” and “kara”
meaning “faces,” thus calling it the
Festival of Many Faces. Happens
every October in Bacolod City and
in Negros Oriental. This festival was initially held in 1980 during a period of crisis in
Negros. The locals held the festival to celebrate their reputation as the city of
smiles, and to lift the morale of the affected communities.

During this Bacolod Festival, the city becomes flooded by tourists who
want to participate in the celebration. The streets are embellished with colorful
decorations and masks. And the most-awaited festival dance that is happening
on the street is full of lively music and colorful costumes
 You may already know a thing or
two about the MassKara Festival
description but here’s a piece of
detailed information about its history,
MassKara Festival place of origin, and
more. MassKara Festival started at a time
of crisis and disaster in the 1980s. The
World Market prices for sugar, the
province’s monocrop, and main source
of livelihood went drastically down.
Because of these, two artists thought of
promoting mask making as an alternative source of income for the locals.
However, people were doubtful if the masks would be sold. So then-Mayor Jose
“Digoy” Montalvo suggested having a mask festival instead.

Then a tragic ferry accident happened. The M/V Don Juan sank in the
same year carrying mostly people from the province including those from
prominent families of Bacolod. Because of these incidents, the question rose:
Shall the festival proceed?

Mayor Montalvo said, because of these disasters, the more they need this
festival to happen to bring back smiles and lift the spirits of the locals. That is the
origin of MassKara Festival.

The smiling masks were a declaration of the people of Bacolod City that
they will pull through and survive the challenges and tragedies that they are
facing. Hence, Bacolod is called “The City of Smiles.”

Masskara Festival Activities You Must Not Miss

1. MassKara Street Dance and Arena Competition
2. Electric MassKara (Bacolod’s biggest street party)
3. MassKara Queen Pageant
4. Food Fair
5. Float Parade

4. Kadayawan Festival, originally called

Kadayawan sa Dabaw, is celebrated in
Davao City every third week of August.
It is the city’s way of giving thanks for
the bountiful harvest. One of the major
annual festivals in the Philippines, a lot
of effort goes into this highly-
anticipated event. It’s a real pillar of the
Davao culture, bringing together locals
and travelers alike for good food, drinks,
music, and dancing in the streets!
What’s not to love?

From floral float parades to fun street dancing, you can be sure that
Davao’s Kadayawan Festival has something for everyone. Read on to learn a bit
more about how this tradition came about and the schedule of holidays in the
Philippines for Kadayawan Festival.

The festival’s name is derived from the Mandaya word “madayaw,”

meaning treasured or valuable, as the locals use this time to give thanks for the
season’s bountiful harvest. Back in the day, the ethnic tribes of Davao would
come together to celebrate abundant crops, performing rituals that paid tribute
to the nature gods.
They used to display fruits, vegetables, flowers, rice, and corn grains on their
mats and at the front of their houses as a sign of respect for the great year
they’ve had. They used to sing and dance as well, much like what they do
today.

In the 1970s, then Mayor Elias B. Lopez,

encouraged the different Davao tribes
to showcase their thanksgiving rituals. In
1986, the Davao City government
launched a project that aimed to unite
the people during the turbulent times of
the Martial Law.

Back then, the name of the festival was

called Apo Duwaling, after three natural
wonders you can find the region: Mt.
Apo, Durian, and Waling-waling.

It was first officially renamed as the Kadayawan Festival in 1988 by then Mayor
Rodrigo Duterte, and now, over 30 years later, it’s still being celebrated.

Prepared by: Sir Aldrine V. Waje