Palawan's Top Events and Festivals: A Calendar of Must-See Celebrations
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 compiled 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!
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January
Bagong Taon Bagong Buhay Sa Baybay
Where: Balayong People’s Park
The biggest New Year party in Palawan featuring fireworks and other activities such as as film shows, sing along contest and trivia questions.
Tarek Festival
Where: Aborlan
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.
Founding Anniversary Bataraza Town
Where: Bataraza
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.
Arawedan Festival
Where: Port Barton
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
February
Love Affair with Nature
Where: Bgy. San Jose and San Manuel Puerto Princesa City
The people of Puerto Princesa express their love for Mother Natures as they participate in mangrove tree Planting activities.
March
Puerto Princesa City Foundation Day
Where: Puerto Princesa
The people of Puerto Princesa celebrate the Commemoration of City’s Foundation Day with a series of cultural and sport events.
Balayong Festival
Where: Puerto Princesa
The colorful Balayong Festival commemorates the founding anniversary of Puerto Princesa with Street Dancing, Float Parade, and Planting of the Palawan Cherry Blossoms.
El Nido Town Fiesta (Kulambo Festival)
Where: El Nido
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.
Kaniyog’n Festival
Where: Brooke’s Point
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.
Narra Town Fiesta
Where: Narra
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.
Founding Anniversary of Balabac
Where: Poblacion Balabac, Palawan
The people of Balabac celebrate their Founding Anniversary with various events and competitions.
April
Pangalipay Sa Baybay
Where: Puerto Princesa Baywalk
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.
Rizal Town Founding Anniversary & Tau’t Bato Festival
Where: Rizal Town
This event features street dancing, float parade, and many other fun activities. It also showcases the culture of the indigenous Tau’t Bato people.
Palawan Liberation
Where: Plaza Cuartel Puerto Princesa City
This event is to honor Filipino and American heroes who fought side-by-side to end the Japanese occupation in Palawan.
Seafood Festival
Where: Puerto Princesa
A gastronomic event that features Palawan’s seafood specialties. Local restaurants showcase kaleidoscope of seafood dishes ranging from local favorites to international ones.
Pasinggatan Festival
Where: Taytay
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.
Kalugtan’ Festival
Where: El Nido
The people of El Nido celebrates Earth Day to honor “Mother Earth” with a series of special events, activities, and exhibits.
Kamarikutan Pagdiwata Arts Festival
Where: Puerto Princesa
The long-week Festival hosted by Kamarikutan Kape Galeri features different arts from painting, sculpture, music, dance, and film.
May
Karagatan Festival
Where: Tagkawayan Beach, Bacungan, PPC
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.
Manunggul Festival
Where: Quezon
The municipality of Quezon known as the “Cradle of Philippine Civilization”, celebrates the Manunggul Festival to honor the burial jars found in Tabon Cave.
Roxas Town Fiesta (Panalaminan Festival)
Where: Roxas
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.
Cuyunon Festival
Where: Bgy. Sibaltan El Nido, Palawan
The Cuyunon festival is a tribute to the indigenous cultural group of Palawan to promote their cultural heritage, especially its music and dance.
Water Festival
Where: Puerto Princesa City
A Festival filled with water-activities. Participants have to run along the Rizal Avenue throwing and splashing colored water. At night, the festival ends with an exciting fire dance competition and a reggae party.
June
Kalabukay Festival
Where: Dumaran, Palawan
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.
Pista ng Kalikasan
Where: Puerto Princesa
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.
Malagnang Festival
Where: San Vicente
The Malagnang Mud Festival is filled with many fun activities and it culminates in the stiff competition of Mud Street Dancing.
Pista ng Dalampasigan
Where: Espaňola
The local citizens gather together for a coastal cleanup and mangrove reforestation.
Agutaya Town Fiesta
Where: Agutaya, Palawan
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.
Rakudan Festival
Where: Aborlan
The Rakudan Festival, whose name in local dialect means “gathering” celebrate the foundation of Aborlan.
Baragatan Sa Palawan Festival
Where: Puerto Princesa
It is a celebration of Palawan’s rich cultural heritage with an extravaganza of music, dances, handicrafts, and gastronomic products.
Pista Y Ang Kagueban
Where: Puerto Princesa
A mass tree-planting event in Palawan, where local people plant thousands of different tree species.
Brooke’s Point Town Foundation Anniversary
Where: Brooke’s Point
The highlights of this festival that celebrates the foundation of Brooke’s Point, are the colorful street parade and the 30-minute fireworks display.
July
Kasadyaan Festival (Tarangayan)
Where: Coron
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.
Purongitan Festival
Where: Cuyo
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.
September
Tandikan Festival
Where: Puerto Princesa
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.
Panagat Festival
Where: Cagayancillo
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.
Coastal Clean Up
Where: Puerto Princesa
It is a thorough cleaning and ordering activity to clear up the shorelines. Its objective is to preserve and safeguard the Mother Earth’s resources along the shorelines.
Pangalipay Festival (Feast of the Patron San Miguel)
Where: Magsaysay, Cuyo
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.
Passini Kat Aborlan
Where: Aborlan
A socio-cultural celebration of the feast of patron St. Therese of the Child Jesus
October
Kalag-kalag Festival
Where: Puerto Princesa
It is the local version of Halloween. Some of its highlights include a zombie run contest and creepiest costume contest.
Malampaya Festival
Where: New Guinlo, Taytay
During this festival, the local people thank the ocean for the abundant catch of the year.
Anihan Festival or Palay Festival
Where: Narra
During this festival, various activities are staged to showcase the talent, ingenuity, and gratitude of the inhabitants for a bountiful harvest of the year that was.
November
(PPUR) Underground River Day
Where: Sabang
This event celebrates the most important attraction of Puerto Princesa. The Underground River is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature and a Unesco Heritage site.
December
Light a Tree
Where: Puerto Princesa Baywalk
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.
City Fiesta
Where: Puerto Princesa
These celebrations feature nightly cultural presentation, yuletide activities topped by the lighting of the giant Christmas tree and fireworks, as well as agro-industrial, tourism and food fairs.
Pagdiwata Tribal Ritual
Where: Aborlan
This event is a tribal ritual that is being practiced by the locals in the municipality of Aborlan in Palawan.