january-2011

Kalibo’s Ati-atihan festival is
easily the Philippines’ rowdiest,
fl ashiest and most colorful
fi esta this January.
PARTY ISLANDS
Festival
Fever
Why not kick off the new year with
a handful of fabulous fiestas across
the country and enjoy a month of
non-stop partying, Pinoy style!
Text and photographs by
Lester V Ledesma
THE FAKE PINE TREES are packed
away, the carols have died down and
all the gifts have been unwrapped. Yes,
Christmas is over, but don’t stop the
merry-making just yet. In case you’ve
forgotten, the Philippines is a nation
of fun-loving people with a constant
yearning for good times. While others
lament and wallow in post-holiday
blues, Filipinos are already planning a
new calendar of non-stop festivities.
In fact, it all starts with a bang on the
fi rst month of 2011. January is host to
truly spectacular events worth ample
doses of good cheer. They range from
the somewhat solemn to the downright
insane; occasions that bear deep cultural
signifi cance (not to mention plenty of
simple joys) for those who celebrate
them. There’s one of these happening
everyday, somewhere in the country’s
7,100 islands. Indeed, the party never
stops — from the grassy plains up north
to the islands down south, we show you
fi ve exciting fi estas to look forward to in
this very fi rst month of 2011.
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