Palawan Do’s and Don’ts for Visitors
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Palawan's Events & Festivals Calendar
Are you planning a trip to Palawan and want to make sure you don't miss out on any of the exciting events and festivals? Look no further than our Palawan Calendar of Events!
We've made a list of the most popular and must-see celebrations in the province, including cultural festivals, religious fiestas, and public holidays.
From the vibrant street parties of the Ati-Atihan Festival to the solemn rituals of the Pagdiwata Tribal Ritual, our calendar has something for everyone. So mark your calendars and get ready to experience the best of Palawan!
PALAWAN FESTIVALS
January
Bagong Taon Bagong Buhay Sa Baybay
The biggest New Year party in Palawan featuring fireworks and other activities such as as film shows, sing along contest and trivia questions.
👉Where and when: held every year between the evening of December 31 and January 1 at the Balayong People’s Park
Tarek Festival
Tarek festival, celebrated on days with full moon, showcases the culture of Palawan’s indigenous groups such as Tagbanua tribe, Batak tribe, and Pagdiwata tribe.
👉 Where and when: held every year in the third week of January, around the full moon, in Aborlan town proper
Founding Anniversary Bataraza Town
The Founding Anniversary is celebrated with exciting activities such as Street Parade, a Float contest, a drum and lyre contest, motor cross, agri-trade fair, tribal show, and garden show.
👉 Where and when: held every year in the last week of January (usually around January 22-29), at the Bataraza Sports Complex, Bataraza
Arawedan Festival
The people of Port Barton celebrate the Arawedan Festival with a variety of activities, from mouth-watering delicacies and street parades with the band adorned in creative costumes
👉Where and when: held every year on January 23-24 in Port Barton
PALAWAN festivals
February & March
Love Affair with Nature
The people of Puerto Princesa express their love for Mother Natures as they participate in mangrove tree Planting activities.
👉 Where and when: held every year on February 14 at a different coastal site in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, chosen each year for the mangrove planting.
Puerto Princesa City Foundation Day
The people of Puerto Princesa celebrate the Commemoration of City’s Foundation Day with a series of cultural and sport events.
👉 Where and when: held every year on March 4 at Balayong People’s Park, Puerto Princesa City
Balayong Festival
The colorful Balayong Festival commemorates the founding anniversary of Puerto Princesa with Street Dancing, Float Parade, and Planting of the Palawan Cherry Blossoms.
👉Where and when: held every year on March 4 at Balayong People’s Park, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, during the peak bloom of the Palawan cherry blossom
Kulambo Festival
El Nido celebrates its “Fiesta” with numerous activities such as Street Dancing, singing contests, and presentation of various types of local delicacies. The highlight is the costumes of the participants of the street parade made out of “kulambo” -a mosquito net.
👉Where and when: held every year from March 15 to 18 in El Nido town proper
Kaniyog’n Festival
This celebration aims to promote the diverse products derived from the coconut or “tree of life” and also features trade fairs, cultural and contemporary shows, sports activities and a beauty pageant.
👉Where and when: held every year in the third week of March (around March 16-22) in Brooke’s Point.
Narra Town Fiesta
The Catholics pay homage to the patron of Narra, Saint Joseph, with sincere thanksgiving for God’s blessings and protection, and a whole year of abundance and prosperity.
👉Where and when: held every year on March 19, in Narra, Palawan, in honor of the patron saint, St. Joseph.
Founding Anniversary of Balabac
The people of Balabac celebrate their Founding Anniversary with various events and competitions.
👉Where and when: held every year in March in Poblacion Balabac.
PALAWAN FESTIVALS
April
Pangalipay Sa Baybay
It is a summer extravaganza events that begins with a parade and an impressive fireworks display. There will be many other daily activities from coastal clean-ups, several sports contests, and dance competition.
👉Where and when: held every year in the first week of April at the Puerto Princesa Baywalk,
Rizal Town Founding Anniversary & Tau’t Bato Festival
Tarek festival, celebrated on days with full moon, showcases the culture of Palawan’s indigenous groups such as Tagbanua tribe, Batak tribe, and Pagdiwata tribe.
👉 Where and when: held every year in mid-April (usually around April 13-21) in Rizal town.
Palawan Liberation
This event is to honor Filipino and American heroes who fought side-by-side to end the Japanese occupation in Palawan.
👉 Where and when: held every year on April 22, with events in the days around it, at Mendoza Park and Plaza Cuartel, Puerto Princesa City
Seafood Festival
A gastronomic event that features Palawan’s seafood specialties. Local restaurants showcase kaleidoscope of seafood dishes ranging from local favorites to international ones.
👉Where and when: held every year in the third week of April in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, with participating restaurants across the city
Pasinggatan Festival
The Pasinggatan Festival highlights Palawan’s cultural heritage with music, dances, handicrafts, native games and local cuisine. This long festival ends with the crowning of Miss Taytay who will represent the municipality at the Baragatan Festival.
👉Where and when: held every year from late April to early May, culminating on May 4, in Taytay
Kalugtan’ Festival
The people of El Nido celebrates Earth Day to honor “Mother Earth” with a series of special events, activities, and exhibits.
👉Where and when: held every year in the third week of April (around Earth Day, April 22) in El Nido town proper.
Kamarikutan Pagdiwata Arts Festival
The long-week Festival hosted by Kamarikutan Kape Galeri features different arts from painting, sculpture, music, dance, and film.
👉Where and when: held in April, during the week of the full moon, at Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri, Rizal Avenue Extension, Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princesa City.
PALAWAN festivals
May
Karagatan Festival
This festival held on the beach aims to demonstrate the synergy between the humans and the ocean. It filled with a variety of activities such as beach volleyball, sand sculptures, boat sailing, beach party and bikini competition.
👉 Where and when: held every year in the first week of May (a four-day event, starting around May 1) at the beaches of Puerto Princesa’s west coast, Barangay Bacungan.
Manunggul Festival
The municipality of Quezon known as the “Cradle of Philippine Civilization”, celebrates the Manunggul Festival to honor the burial jars found in Tabon Cave.
👉 Where and when: held every year on May 15, the Founding Anniversary of Quezon, in Quezon town proper.
Panalaminan Festival
The festival whose name is a Cuyunon word which means “mirror” celebrates the history of Roxas as a repository of silica sand used for the production of mirrors and glassware.
👉Where and when: held every year in mid-May, around May 15 (the town’s founding date), in Roxas town proper.
Cuyunon Festival
The Cuyunon festival is a tribute to the indigenous cultural group of Palawan to promote their cultural heritage, especially its music and dance.
👉Where and when: held every year in mid-May (around May 15-18) in Sibaltan, El Nido
PALAWAN FESTIVALS
June, July & August
Kalabukay Festival
The people of Dumaran celebrate their Kalabukay Festival to promote conservation of the forests where one of the last remaining populations of Kalabukay or “katala” (Philippine cockatoo) dwells.
👉Where and when: held every year from June 14 to 18 in Dumaran.
Pista ng Kalikasan
This event aims to protect the natural environment of Palawan, especially the mangrove forests. It’s a mass planting-tree event to help alleviate global warming.
👉 Where and when: held every year around June 5 (World Environment Day) across Palawan, with each municipality holding its own activities at local sites.
Malagnang Festival
The Malagnang Mud Festival is filled with many fun activities and it culminates in the stiff competition of Mud Street Dancing.
👉 Where and when: held every year in the second half of June (around June 20-27, over three days) in the town proper of San Vicente.
Pista ng Dalampasigan
The local citizens gather together for a coastal cleanup and mangrove reforestation.
👉Where and when: held every year on June 24 in Sofronio Española.
Agutaya Town Fiesta
The Agutaya town fiesta celebration in honor of Saint John The Baptist whose image is taken from the church and carried in a procession around the town accompanied by a band and set on a beautifully decorated boat to the sea.
👉Where and when: held every year on June 24 in Agutaya
Rakudan Festival
The Rakudan Festival, whose name in local dialect means “gathering” celebrate the foundation of Aborlan.
👉Where and when: held every year in June, around the town’s founding date of June 28, in Aborlan town proper.
Baragatan Sa Palawan Festival
It is a celebration of Palawan’s rich cultural heritage with an extravaganza of music, dances, handicrafts, and gastronomic products.
👉Where and when: held every year in June, culminating on June 23 (the founding anniversary of Palawan’s civil government), at the Provincial Capitol Compound in Puerto Princesa City.
Pista Y Ang Kagueban
A mass tree-planting event in Palawan, where local people plant thousands of different tree species.
👉Where and when: held every year on the fourth Saturday of June at a different reforestation site in Puerto Princesa City.
Brooke’s Point Town Foundation Anniversary
The highlights of this festival that celebrates the foundation of Brooke’s Point, are the colorful street parade and the 30-minute fireworks display.
👉Where and when: held every year in the last week of June, culminating on June 28 (the town’s Foundation Day), in Brooke’s Point town proper.
Purongitan Festival
One of the most scenic festivals held in Palawan. Blue-colored dancers perform the street dance to frenzied drumbeats while shouting Viva San Agustin in this festive celebration which coincides with the fiesta of the patron saint, San Agustin.
👉Where and when: Celebrated in Cuyo town, in connection with the feast of Saint Augustine on August 28.
Kasadyaan Festival (Tarangayan)
The festival celebrates the town’s patron saint, St Agustine. The Coronians express their gratitude through cultural presentations, sports events, dance competitions and other activities.
👉Where and when: Celebrated in Coron twon in connection with the feast of Saint Augustine on August 28.
PALAWAN festivals
September, October & November
Tandikan Festival
The highlight of this festival is the Float Parade that features the peacock, the symbol of the city of Puerto Princesa. During this month-long celebration, there will be singing and dancing performances and showcases of exotic cuisines.
👉 Where and when: Celebrated in September in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, as part of the city’s tourism celebrations.
Panagat Festival
This festival is a tribute to the fisherman and for all the people who thrive near water or sea. For this event, the street dancers wear ocean inspired costumes.
👉 Where and when: Celebrated in September in Cagayancillo
Pangalipay Festival
The festival is celebrated in honor of their patron saint, St. San Miguel. This festival features a colourful street dancing and folk dancing with indigenous costumes.
👉 Where and when: Celebrated in Magsaysay, Palawan, around September 29.
Passini Kat Aborlan
A socio-cultural celebration of the feast of patron Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus.
👉 Where and when: Celebrated in Aborlan, Palawan, around October 1.
PALAWAN FESTIVALS
December
Light a Tree
It is a merry event where a giant Christmas tree is lit up to start the Yuletide Season. This comes with Christmas carols, dances, and Music.
👉 Where and when: Held in December at Balayong People’s Park in Puerto Princesa City.
City Fiesta
A celebration in honour of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the city’s patroness features religious processions, cultural performances, community celebrations and Christmas activities.
👉 Where and when: Celebrated annually on December 8 in Puerto Princesa City
Pagdiwata Tribal Ritual
This event is a sacred ceremony of the indigenous Tagbanua people. It gives thanks for a bountiful harvest and seeks blessings for healing, health and the well-being of the community.
👉 Where and when: Traditionally held during the full moon in December in Aborlan.
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