Special Program in the Arts

VISUAL ARTS 8 Activity Sheet

Quarter 4 – MELC: 1-2
Asian Characteristics of Design in Different
Festivals
MAPEH SPA Grade 8
VISUAL ARTS-Learning Activity Sheet
Quarter 4-Week 1-2: Asian Characteristics of Design in Different Festivals
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 Learning Activity Sheet in SPA – Visual Arts 8

Name of Learner:________________________________________________
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What I Know?

1 2
AA R K A M S GOUINLS

4
H ITIATANA NAG PANAGAB E

LESSON I: Different Festivals of Luzon

Luzon is the Philippines’ largest island and is composed of a lot of provinces, regions, cities,
towns, cultures. As such, it is home to the country’s best festivals.
Most of Luzon may be reached via land travel, unlike the Visayas, which is comprised
of several islands and islets. If you live in Luzon, make it a point to see these six festivals in
your lifetime. You can even do it in a year, as it seems that the best of Luzon festivals are
spread out throughout the year and a major one is held almost every month.
PAHIYAS
Held on May 15 of every year, the Pahiyas Festival is carried out to give thanks to San Isidro
Labrador for the good harvest. It is one of the country’s oldest festivals tracing its origin way
back to the 16th century. Back then, farmers bought food to the foot of Mt. Banahaw as a sign
of Thanksgiving and this tradition done in the hopes of having a good harvest year. Kiping and
harvested fruits and vegetables are used as the main focal point of the decorations. Kiping is a
brightly-colored, leaf-shaped wafer made of rice paste and used as decoration. It is considered
an integral part of the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon. But eventually was modified to
make the church the central offering place. The Pahiyas is commonly associated with Lucban,
Quezon, but it is also celebrated in two other Quezon towns: Sariaya and Tayabas.

PANAGBENGA FESTIVAL IN BAGUIO PHILIPPINE

It used to be that February was Baguio City’s least favorable month, experiencing a doldrum in
the number of visitor arrivals that usually peak in December (for the holiday season) and
March or April (for the Lenten Season), on top of the summer months.

However, with the introduction of the Panagbenga Festival, February became a time of
pageantry, fun and merrymaking in Baguio City as the city becomes covered with the most
beautiful flowers in the region.
Together with its blooms, Panagbenga also showcases the different cultures of its 11 tribes
such as the Igorots and the Ibalois. In fact, the street dance of the Panagbenga features
dances that are inspired by these cultural tribes.

Why you should see it: Simultaneously get a taste of Baguio’s tribal culture and the
Tournament of Roses parade.

Fertility Dance at Obando

Couples who wish to have a child flock to Obando, Bulacan, and every May 17 to 19 to join the
street dance in Honor of Santa Clara. The street dancing is said to be a prayer made by the
couple. The belief stems from early practice and is said to be effective, as some have been
miraculously blessed with an offspring soon after they joined the dancing.

Why you should be there: The benefits are obvious if you are childless, but for other people,
the Obando dance is only one of the very few religious Luzon festivals that featured street
dancing on a major part of the area.

LESSON II: Different Festivals of Visayas

1. Sinulog Festival

Location: Cebu City Philippines

The Sinulog Festival is held in Cebu and lasts well over a week, culminating in the street
parade or Mardi Gras that falls on the third Sunday of every January. The feast venerates the
Senyor Santo Nino de Cebu. For many years, Cebu’s Sinulog has featured different activities
such as the Miss Cebu beauty pageant, the fluvial procession, the solemn street procession,
the film-making contests, the arts contests, among others. But most people, especially
non-locals, equate Sinulog with the Grand Parade.

During the Grand Sinulog Parade, dozens of contingents representing the different locales of
Cebu City and Cebu province take part in different categories: free interpretation dance,
traditional Sinulog dance, best float and best “higantes”. In the recent years, guest contingents
have been allowed to participate and join the Cebuanos in the fun dancing, including
contingents from Manila, other provinces and even other countries. Major thoroughfares of
the city are closed for this parade, as people flock the streets and the Abellana Sports
Complex to watch the pomp and pageantry, the burst of color and the lively beat of drums.

2. Ati-Atihan Festival
Location: Kalibo, Aklan Philippines
Aklan plays host to the annual Ati-atihan festival, coinciding with the third Sunday of January.
Like the Sinulog Festival of Cebu, the Ati-atihan celebrates the many miracles of the Child
Jesus or Santo Nino.

The festival is probably more well-known for the black paint that most participants put on
their bodies. The black paint that covers the whole body contrasts starkly with the colorful
costumes and ornaments.

The Ati-Atihan, though honoring the Santo Nino, has tribal and pagan origins. But together
with the city’s Christianization, the festival has taken a new meaning.
The Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in January in honor of the Santo Niño (Infant
Jesus), concluding on the third Sunday, in the island and town of Kalibo, Aklan in the
Philippines.

Ati-atihan means “to be like aetas”or “make believe ati’s.” Aetas were the primary settlers in
the islands according to history books. They too are the earliest settlers of Panay Island where
the province of Aklan is.

The festival consists of tribal dance, music, accompanied by indigenous costumes and
weapons, and parade along the street. Christians, and non-Christians observe this day with
religious processions. It is the mother of all Philippine Festivals because Sinulog Festival of
Cebu and Dinagyang of Iloilo are adaptations of the Kalibo Ati-Atihan Festival.

Aklan plays host to the annual Ati-atihan festival, coinciding with the third Sunday of January.
Like the Sinulog Festival of Cebu, the Ati-atihan celebrates the many miracles of the Child
Jesus or Santo Nino.

The festival is probably more well-known for the black paint that most participants put on
their bodies. The black paint that covers the whole body contrasts starkly with the colorful
costumes and ornaments.

The Ati-Atihan, though honoring the Santo Nino, has tribal and pagan origins. But together
with the city’s Christianization, the festival has taken a new meaning.

3. MassKara Festival
Location: Bacolod City Philippines

Bacolod City holds its Charter Day on the 19th of October every year. Coinciding with its
Charter Day is the MassKara Festival, a week-long activity that is currently dubbed as the
Festival of Smile, a take on Bacolod’s own monicker as the City of Smiles.

Unlike other festivals in the Visayas, however, the MassKara is not religious or tribal in nature.
Instead, the Festival ironically traces its roots on tragedy. The festival was first held in 1980, at
a time when sugar cane and sugar prices plummeted and the livelihood of Bacolenos suffered.
It was also during that year that a terrible maritime tragedy left more than 700 Negrenses
dead when the Don Juan and the tanker Tacloban City collided with each other and sank.

To eclipse the tragedy and the sorrow, Bacolod held its first MassKara Festival. The term
MassKara was coined by Ely Santiago, meaning many faces. It also became the festival’s
trademark: smiling masks worn by the participants.

Today’s Masskara features the search for the festival queen, street carnivals, competitions,
food fests, sports and music events, garden and agricultural shows and
other activities.The MassKara Festival is a festival held each year in Bacolod City, the capital
of Negros Occidental province in the Philippines every third weekend of October nearest
October 19, the city’s Charter Inauguration Anniversary.

4. Pintado-Kasadyahan Festival
Location: Tacloban City Philippines

Lasting a whole month, Tacloban City holds the Pintados-Kasadyahan Festival culminating on
June 29. The current festival also includes the Leyte Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals, the
Pagrayhak Grand Parade, and the Pintados Ritual Dance Presentation. The festival
commemorates and fleshes out how the Spaniards saw the early Filipinos when they arrived
in Leyte: bodies filled with tattoos and holding weapons which were previously heated in
open fire. In fact, pintados is how the tattoo-covered natives were called, and that’s how the
festival got its name.

LESSON III: Different Festivals of Mindanao

1. Kadayawan
Kadayawan is a Davao Festival celebrated every August that serves as a thanksgiving event for
the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, and bounties of harvest and serenity of living. It also
celebrates and gives tribute to the lumads, a collective group of indigenous people living in
the city.
Kadayawan is a native expression in the Dabawnon tongue. It’s derived from the word
“madayaw” which means good, valuable, and superior. Hence, Kadayawan Festival Tagalog
means pasasalamat at pagpapahalaga. It is the celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts
of nature, the wealth of culture, and bounties of harvest and serenity of living.

While it’s celebrated without the religious factor, the origin of Kadayawan Festival is the pagan
belief of the ethnic tribes of Davao. Back in the day, the ethnic tribes would come together at
the foot of Mt. Apo, the Philippines’ highest mountain, to celebrate abundant crops,
performing rituals that paid tribute to the nature gods Manama and Bulan.

As a sign of respect for the great year they’ve had, they displayed fruits, vegetables, flowers,
rice, and corn grains on their mats and at the front of their houses. They also used to sing and
dance as well, much like what they do today.

In the 1970s, then-Mayor Elias B. Lopez, encouraged the Davao ethnic 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.

That time, the festival was called Apo Duwaling, named after three natural wonders you can
find the region: Mt. Apo, Durian, and Waling-waling. It was officially renamed as the
Kadayawan Festival in 1988 by then-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

2.T’nalak Festival

T’nalak Festival, also known as Tinalak Festival, is a festival held to celebrate the anniversary
of South Cotabato and is observed every July.
The festival’s unique name is attributed to a popular piece of colorful cloth woven by the local
T’boli women (T’boli is a tribe in the region). The cloth is known as a T’nalak, and is made of
abaca clothing. There are a number of reasons why this was the choice clothing among so
many options.

History
First, T’nalak is woven by the women of the community, symbolizing their diversity and unified
resilience. The actual process of weaving the T’nalak is a tedious one, requiring a lot of
patience, precision and effort. Which actually reminds the participants that that is the only way
to obtain quality.

The story behind the design of the weave is rather interesting. In fact, the design is supposed
to be dreamed by the person creating it, which is why this entire province is commonly known
as the Land of Dream weavers. And that’s why the fabric is the symbol of the festival – it
represents the blending and unity of all the different cultures and ethnicities that live on the
island.

Tourists attending the T’nalak Festival are welcomed by a rich and vibrant culture. Whether it
is through the intricate display of traditional artifacts or the adorning of ethnic regalia, visitors
are in for a cultural espionage of a lifetime. This also presents a perfect opportunity to get
meaningful souvenirs of your trip to the Philippines.

2. Sibug-Sibug Festival of Zambuanga

Sibug-Sibug Festival is an annual event held during the 26th day of February in the province of
Zamboanga Sibugay. This celebration is also the anniversary of the foundation of the
province.

The two-week festivity features colorful street dancing with ethnic themes, including the
ritual that shows of good harvest, wedding ceremony, and healing rituals.

Activity II

1. Have you ever been to any of these festivals? If not, what Philippine festival have you
been to? In a short video, record yourself sharing about your experience. Highlight your views
on the design and colors used. (20 pts)

Activity III
1. On a 6x6 sized paper(use whatever is available), make an artwork of your
favorite Philippine festival, make sure to make the colors and design as vibrant as
the festival itself

Reference for learners

https://pinoyfestivals.wordpress.com/different-luzon-festivals/
https://pinoyfestivals.wordpress.com/different-luzon-festivals/top-five-must-see-
visayan-philippines-festivals/
https://www.zenrooms.com/blog/post/kadayawan-festival/
https://expertworldtravel.com/philippines/tnalak-festival/#:~:text=T'nalak%20Fes
tival%2C%20also%20known,a%20tribe%20in%20the%20region).

Answer Key

Activity 1

Outputs may vary