Free Foods At Food Festivals

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Avatar for Jane
Written by
3 years ago

December 17, 2020

My latest article about Pilippines: The Home of Festivals shows the rich culture and vibrant traditions of the Philippines. I have also mentioned in that article that there are more than 42,000 festivals celebrated every year and I only tackled about the top 10 major festivals. Aside from religion-based festivals, the Philippines also have food festivals showcasing the main food products of a certain place in the country.


We, Filipinos are food lovers and that affinity along with the various food production abounding in every region, are made into distinct specialties that we all patronize. So if you are planning for a trip to a certain place, it is best to choose the date of their festival to enjoy your vacation more.

So let's start from the first month up to the last month of the year.

Photo credit: hellotravel.com

Vigan is so famous for its longganisa and the Ilokanos start their year by celebrating its existence. The Longganisa Festival is held every 22th of January just a few days before the fiesta of Vigan on the 25th day.

Longganisa (Longaniza in Spanish), is a sausage akin to chorizo which is flavored with a variety of local spices. The Vigan longganisa is a short and fat sausage that is made from a combination of spicy meat, their local sugarcane vinegar and lots of garlic giving it a distinct flavor. 

Photo credit: kawalingpinoy.com

In the Philippines, longganisa is typically served during breakfast along with tuyo (dried fish), fried eggs, and fried rice. Vigan City is not only known for it's longganisa but also for its sett pavements and unique Spanish architecture and it is also one of a few Spanish colonial towns left in the Philippines.

Photo credit: hellotravel.com

The Suman Festival is the biggest and grandest of all feasts in Baler, Aurora celebrated every 14th to 19th day of February. During the festival, there are parade of floats distinctively designed and houses are decorated with the suman or sticky rice cake.

Photo credit: angsarap.net

Suman is a Filipino delicacy also known as a steamed rice cake. It is made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and wrapped in either banana leaves or buri (Corypha) palm. Suman serves as the locals' ritual offering of 'Hagisan', their practice of sharing prosperity. During the Hagisan, they will tie bundles of suman with bagakay (a kind of
bamboo), then throw them from their balconies or windows while the image of their patron saint - San Isidro passes by. Baler Aurora is also known for its spectacular geographic formations.

Photo credit: teddyschoice.blogspot.com

Balut Festival is celebrated in April in 'Balut Capital of the Philippines', Pateros Taguig. Balut (fertilized duck egg) is regarded as one of the Filipino original exotic food probably known to the world. It is the source of sustainable community livelihood and the centerpiece of the Pateros' food tourism.

Photo credit: manilatimes.net

During the festival, there are cooking contests between the barangays' top chefs, a balut eating contest, and more performances by students.

Photo credit: talavera.gov.ph

Kesong Puti Festival is celebrated in Sta Cruz Laguna every May 7-12 of the year. The kesong puti (white cheese) is the main product and native delicacy of Sta Cruz Laguna. It is a soft white cheese made from the milk of carabaos or water buffalos and is wrapped and fermented in banana leaves.

Photo credit: rove.me

Kesong puti is best served with pandesal (a popular rounded yeast bread in the country) and tsokolate (hot chocolate drink) or coffee for breakfast. Aside from kesong puti, other products made from white cheese are also showcased at the festival.

Photo credit: Pinterest by Santiago Vito

Manggahan Festival is a month-long celebration of Guimaras Iloilo showcasing their rich culture and giving thanks for their rich production of delicious mangoes. The most famous event during the festival is the Php100 worth of eat-all-the-mangoes-you-can offered to both locals and tourists and the trade fair of mango products you can bring home.

Photo credit: GMANews.com

Lechon Festival is celebrated in Balayan Batangas on the 24th day of June in honor of St. John the Baptist. Lechon is a Filipino term for roast pig and always the star of every buffet table.

Photo credit: traveltrilogy.com

Lechon is cooked using a bamboo spit over charcoal for a few hours. The process of cooking requires constant turning manually, a traditional way of cooking roast pig. The pig is roasted for several hours until all sides are done which resulted in a crisp skin, juicy meat, and a distinctive feature of the dish.


During the festival, the streets are filled with festivities, and the locals dancing together with the tourists and other people from all over the country. And the most exciting part is the parade of Lechon (roast pig parade) and basaan (water dousing). So if you will attend in this festival, make sure to bring extra clothes with you as you will be wet in the parade.

Photo credit: hellotravel.com

Alimango Festival is celebrated on July 19 in Sta. Margarita Samar and March 22 in Lanao Del Norte as thanksgiving for the abundance of alimango (mud crabs raised in fishponds) as well as to promote the crab industry which is the main source of livelihood in the town. 

The same with other festivals, there is a parade and street dancing where participants are dresses with colorful fisherfolk garb performing the process of raising and harvesting the mud crabs, and of course, some are wearing mud crab costumes.

Photo credit: lanaodelnorte.gov.ph

The main highlight of the festival is the tasting of specialty crab dishes from the region where an estimated 600 kilos of crabs are caught and cooked and served on lined-up tables for the visitors and in Lanao Del Norte, tons of crabs are also cooked and given to the people for free. Visitors can enjoy the crab bingeing with their choice of savory sauce and using their bare hands makes the eating more fun.

Photo credit: communities.dmcihomes.com

Durian is a fruit known worldwide and is regarded as the 'King of Fruits'. Despite its unpleasant smell, the spiky fruits have a distinct taste that many love to eat. The month-long celebration of the Durian Festival is held every August in Tagum City. The festival is a celebration for the bountiful harvest not only of Durian but also the other varieties of fruits that Davao City is rich in.

Photo credit: durianburgdavao.com

Tourists and visitors can participate in the Durian eating competition where they can Durian for free.

Photo credit: food.bilyonaryo com.ph

General Santos is one of the world’s leading exporters of sashimi-grade tuna. It is responsible for a large portion of the town’s revenues. The festival is a weeklong celebration every September of the year.

Activities in the festival include a tuna float parade where the townpeople showcases the province’s abundant catch with colorful, ocean-themed floats. Another is sugbahan sa dalan where many grills are lined on the streets and tons of tuna are grilled on fhe spot where everyone are free to eat. Water parade and different water sports are some of the highlights in the festival. General Santos is also the hometown of our famous World's Boxing Champion -Manny Pacqiuao.

Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org

The Lanzones Festival celebrated every October and a hallmark event in the Philippines. Mambajao Camiguin is known to have the sweet lanzones and the festival is held to celebrate bountiful harvests of the fruit as well as to feature the different beautiful agricultural cottages and industrial products.

Lanzones came from Lansium Parasiticum that belongs to the species of Mahogany. And aside from having sweet lanzones, Camiguin is also an Island with an abundance of heritage and culture, food and arts, and natural wonders.

  • TOSSED SALAD FESTIVAL OF BAGUIO

Photo credit: windowseat.ph

Tossed Salad Festival is celebrated every November of the year in the 'Summer Capital of the Philippines' - Baguio City. It is a celebration of bountiful produce of fresh vegetables in the province. One of the main highlights of the festival is the making of the record-breaking attempt of the heaviest tossed salad served in a GIANT salad bowl and tourists and visitors are free to eat the giant tossed salad.

Photo from Facebook

Kapeng Barako Festival is celebrated every December in Lipa Batangas every year. Lipa is the official coffee granary of the Philippines. This festival is perfect for coffee lovers as it showcases freshly harvested and rich in flavor coffee beans. Kapeng barako (strong coffee) is a famous coffee brand of the country. Its rich flavor has a pungent aroma that is well balanced by its strong robust flavor. This is one of the reasons why the locals call it ‘matapang’ or 'strong'.

Photo credit: balay.ph

If you want to enjoy either a smooth or strong coffee, you can visit Lipa Batangas on its festival day and taste its rich flavored coffee. And while in the place, you can also visit the Fantasy World famous in the province.


In every festival in the Philippines, any tourists and visitors are welcome to have a memorable feast along with the locals. And of course, food stalls and exhibitions are everywhere, there are a variety of shows and competitions, and grand parades and street parties are always present.


The Philippines is not only famous for its beaches and other captivating natural features, but also food and hospitality. So if you have a plan to visit the Philippines, why not make your vacation more memorable by booking your next trip to any of the aforementioned festival destinations instead? Experience the rich culture of the Philippines and satisfy your trip with the “food trip!”

Thanks for reading @Jane

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Avatar for Jane
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3 years ago

Comments

The bangus festival tho OwO ahh but i went to the food festivals in batangas and laguna! They were so funn and so delicious OwO i didn't even wanna go home

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3 years ago

Impressive. It's like going into one piece episode. So much love for food. 44000? Like every day there's a couple of hundreds of festivals? Wow. That's where I should be.

$ 0.02
3 years ago

Coz we have 44k+ baranggays 🤣 each has its own festivals held annually.. That's why it's more fun in the Philippines

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3 years ago

That's a definite must see. You know One Piece right?

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3 years ago

Ofcourse.. Btw, are you KingKD in publishox?

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3 years ago

I'm busy thinking that your typical year is a whole One Piece in the flesh. Yeah Jane, this is he...lol

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3 years ago

I know right 🤣🤣 but your name should be the same there so you can post your article here to there

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3 years ago

Oh yeah, that's the problem that kept giving me copyright issues.... I was wondering. I'll match my handles.

Thank you Jane

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3 years ago

You can post your article here, then after 3 days it is safe to post on publishox.. The system don't allow posting your article at the same day to other platforms anymore.. I had 2 issues bout that. But when I posted it after 3 days, it was fine already.

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3 years ago

You are a quick learner and I take it that you are very sharp! Don't steal my heart now.

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3 years ago

Not really quick learner.. I was struggling at first too 🤣🤣

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3 years ago

As someone who really loves to try different kind of foods and is fascinated with different cultures and their history this article is really insightful and gave me new knowledge about the Philippines. Thanks 💕

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3 years ago

Ph is indeed rich in culture and traditions which makes it more fun. Sana lumayas na itong si kovido ksi almost a year na walang pista

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3 years ago

One year na sis 😅 sna nga..pra makapag bakasyon mga boss ko..pra bongga dn bkasyon ko 🤣🤣 pahinga ko yun eh

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3 years ago

Sana all damot sponsor😌😁

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3 years ago

Dun ako sa lechon festival at alimango festival. Di masyadong mahilig sa cholesterol ano 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️ pero masarap kase eh. Haha

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3 years ago

Haha..true.. Lalo na skin ng lechon at ginataang alimango huhu

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3 years ago

Kinakain mo rin ba ang yellow part ng crabs? Haha

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3 years ago

Minsan haha.. Nung bata pa ko kala ko tae yun ng crabs 🤣🤣

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3 years ago

Haha. Totoo. Pero masarap nman part na yun. Kaso, toxic daw yun sa ibang country kaya di advisable na kainin.

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3 years ago

Hndi na ko mahilig sa seafoods now kht sa karne..

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3 years ago

Tapos may lactose intolerance ka pa. 🥺 ano nlng kinakain mo?

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3 years ago

Gulay prutas 🤣 pro need ko namn protein kya kaht mga bawal kinakain ko

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3 years ago

These are beautiful, would love to have a glimpse of Philippines food, culture and Tagalog language. Pls anyone know how I can restore my spammed account, anyone with a good suggestion? Thank you

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3 years ago

Wow, free taste po, lol, i ike the suman, kesong puti, mangga, kapeng barako n mud crabs po, lol, hopefully soon i can go n experience the different festivals n foods po d2 sa pilipinas, pinay po aq n d2 ipinanganak pero ndi q pa po nlilibot ang bansa po ntin, lol

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3 years ago

Same here 🤣🤣 manila at, cebu plng pinakamalayo ko napuntahan

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3 years ago

Aq po cavite n boracay lng po, lol, salamat po sa upvote nyo po :)

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3 years ago

Now, this type of festival I want to see. One which I get to eat all kinds of dishes and fill my tummy. Your festivals are amazing, no argument there

$ 0.02
3 years ago

Yes, they are.. You will be satisfied once you experience those festivals

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3 years ago

Oh yes, satisfaction is to be expected. You are the first to tip me, I appreciate it

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3 years ago

Really? I tip those who commented on my article 😊

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3 years ago

That's very nice of you. It can motivate readers. By the way am a newbie here

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3 years ago

This is more than yummy, I love that roasted pork meat, I fill like just cutting and eating, this is really food festival indeed, thanks

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3 years ago

Just beware of the cholesterol level of that food 😅 but i like the crispy skin of roast pork

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3 years ago

Ngayin ko lang nalaman tong mga to. Nakakaexcite tuloy kahit isang beses sana mapanood

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3 years ago

Haha.. Maglalaway ka lng ,🤣

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3 years ago

Wala ng mas sasarap pa sa free foods,, hahahaha.. Dito sa amin may pa free foods din kada festival kaso ds year wala dahil sa covid. Seafoods naman dito..

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3 years ago

Oo nga..busog k tlga wvery festival..kakasad lng dhl sa covid madaming nacancel

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3 years ago

Truee,, hay sana nga mawala na ang Covid.

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3 years ago

Nakakamiss yung mga Festivals Huhu

$ 0.02
3 years ago

Nga pla.kanina dapat start ng simbang gabi.. May ganap ba?

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3 years ago

Nakapag simbang gabi ako kanina okay naman po. Organized sa loob at labas may act din before the mass

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3 years ago

One set apart? 😅

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3 years ago

Yes po, then kailangan din naka face mask and shield hehe

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3 years ago

Celebrating your festival and cooking good food in this happiness and distributing it among the people is also called a very good deed. Thank you @Jane for Sharing the beauties of the festival

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3 years ago

Welcome.. Are you new here?

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3 years ago

My Dear, I am Raema

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3 years ago

New account?

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3 years ago

Yes, just hoping well

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3 years ago

Oh.. So how is it? Getting tips already ?

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3 years ago