Do you love to spend your vacation with your family or friends by traveling and experiencing festivals in different places? Do you love to try different delicacies from various different places? Or are you a person who wants to immerse yourself into enculturation? If you are, you should have an in-depth experience of various colorful festivals in the Philippines. Sure, festivals are a fun social activity but festivals are more than just the colorful costumes and festive music. Festival plays a major and significant role in Philippine culture. In the Philippines, festivals are held to highlight the patron saint or best-known goods of each province. Filipinos thank their patron saints for their miraculous and abundant grace throughout religious festivals in the Philippines. Festivals are a good approach to represent the community as a tourist and investment destination on a global scale. One of the most famous festivals celebrated here in the Philippines is the Higalaay Festival of Cagayan de Oro.
The Higalaay Festival, originally known as the Kagay-an Festival before changing its name to the Higalaay Kagay-an Festival in 2014, is a three-week-long patronal observance held annually in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, on the 28th of August to honor the city's patron saint, St. Augustine. During the festival, a series of activities are being held.
Fluvial Procession
As mentioned above, Higalaay Festival is a festival celebrated to honor the city’s patron saint, St. Augustine. The highlight of this festival is the Fluvial Procession. One way to really experience their culture is to sail in the river while observing a procession. A framed photo of St. Augustine is being carried by boats. The river procession includes Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, and all of the other patron saints of the various barangays. The intent of this action is to both sanctify the river and encourage river protection.
Agri Fair and Garden Show
It is an event held during the festival to showcase the produce of the Cagayan de Oro farmers. It is also a chance for people who love plants– also known as the “green thumbs” to learn more about planting and to also enhance their skills and abilities in cultivating garden flowers. This event also entails plant growth, productivity, maintenance, and landscaping. In terms of the economy, it enables people to use the gifts and abilities that God has given them to ultimately generate revenue.
Mindanao Fashion Summit at Higalaay Festival
What makes this festival more fun is the Mindanao Fashion Summit! Yes, that is right, this event does not only feature designers from Cagayan de Oro but also designers from the cities of Mindanao. Top local designers from Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, General Santos, Iligan, and Zamboanga attend this particular festival. The designers must exhibit their best designs or entries in three days. The chosen artists' brilliant and detailed works were put on display to be seen by everyone.
Kahimunan Regional Trade Fair
Kahimunan Regional Trade Fair is an event during the Higalaay Festival organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). With this event, Cagayan de Oro's micro and macro firms are encouraged to advertise their operations and highlight their employees' skills. As a result, a variety of items based on culture are readily apparent. Yes to supporting local businesses and products!
Higalaay Festival Street Performances
A festival will never be complete without street performances, right? These public performances, which are sponsored by several barangays and schools, take place on August 26 and 28, which also happens to be Kagay-anon Days. Anticipate the energetic street dances to tell their chosen stories while being accompanied by enthusiastic music, dazzling and fascinating costumes, and other props. Surely, the captivating and magnificent performances will leave you awestruck. The local networks and stations also broadcast these acts on television so that people may enjoy the celebration from the comfort of their own homes.
The Search for Miss Cagayan de Oro
If there will be street performances and a fashion summit, Miss Cagayan de Oro pageant is also being held during the Higalaay Festival. The winner of the beauty contest will represent Cagayan de Oro as both the city's ambassador for the charity and its tourism. This pageant is a chance to give the floor to the province's most exquisite women. Therefore, this pageant is all about putting on a fantastic exhibition of beauty, wit, talent, and elegance.
Intricate Floats
There are times when our creative juices just keep on flowing and you have a lot of concepts in mind. During the Higalaay Festival, locals are encouraged to make floats and every year, the floats' themes vary. In this approach, locals will constantly be challenged to come up with fresh ideas for how to make their floats distinctive and impressive. Likewise, it is a method of offering visitors a brand-new taste of the floats during the Higalaay Festival each year which makes it more fun and exciting.
Lights Display
Do not end your day without visiting Duaw Kagay-an Park with your friends or family to enjoy the dazzling and spectacular lights display as it dances along with some classical and modern music. There are also food kiosks of various food delicacies on the venue for you to try, too! Yup, end your day right, and never miss this fascinating and magical night at the Duaw Kagay-an Park.
Pyro Musical Festival
Of course, for all music lovers out there, this event is for you. Pyro Music Festival, one of the highlights of the Higalaay Festival, is held at the Pueblo de Oro Business Park. It will surely be a night to remember to witness the live performances of both local and international guest artists together with the majestic firework displays! A music festival will never be complete without food kiosks in the venue. It’s a perfect time to bond with your friends and family.
There are more activities you may also choose to join or watch during the Higalaay Festival. There are also boat racing, boat-making, horse shows, culinary shows, and many more during the festival! It won’t be a three-week-long celebration without a reason. The Higalaay Kagay-an Festival has prospered and will do so in the years to come. I strongly advise you to take advantage of the opportunity to be here and witness this historic event if you have the chance to do so.
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So, what are you waiting for? Seize the moment. Embrace the Philippine culture by immersing yourself in enculturation and living your dream life in Cagayan de Oro!
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