2011 Awesome Calendar of the Philippines (Updated!)

I saw this on http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com by Anton Diaz and I was really interested to get to know some of the events to happen this year. I do really wanted to go to some interesting festivals this year but I have to limit some since it would cost me time and money to go to places (especially me and my wife are expecting our first born within the next 4-5 months XD). Anyway, here is the calendar of events for 2011. I'm thinking of adding and revising some dates though =P

JANUARY 2011 Best Time to Climb Mt. Pinatubo!

1 NEW YEAR'S DAY | Saturday | Solemnity of Mary Mother of God | HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

9 FEAST OF THE BLACK NAZARENE | Sunday | Quiapo, Manila. An intense, day-long festival highlighted by a mammoth procession through the streets.

15 PASUNGAY FESTIVAL 2011 | Saturday | San Joaquin, Iloilo. One of the thrilling bull fighting festival as a culminating event of the Bayluhay Festival which celebrates the arrival of the 10 datus from Malay in the 13th century. 

15-16 ATI-ATIHAN 2011 | Kalibo, Aklan. Commemorates the 13th century land deal between 10 migrating Bornean chieftains and the aboriginal Ati King Marikudo. It also honors the town patron, the infant Sto. Nino.

15-16 SINULOG 2011 | Cebu City. Cebu’s biggest and most popular festival in honor of the Holy Image of Senyor Sto. Niño

16 or 23 CARACOL 2011 | Makati City. This is Makati City's version of the Mardi Gras conceptualized in 1986.

22-23 DINAGYANG FESTIVAL 2011 | Iloilo City. Street dancing characterized by frenetic stomping of feet and hypnotic drumbeating. It is a colorful whirl of thousands of people dressed in unique costumes dancing & chanting all day and night.

31 FEAST DAY OF ST. JOHN BOSCO. Celebration of the feast day of the Father and Teacher of Youth who founded the Salesian Society. 

FEBRUARY 2011: The Love Month!

2 FEAST OF NUESTRA SENORA DE LA CANDELARIA or "OUR LADY OF CANDLES." |Jaro, Iloilo. Western Visayas celebrates the Patroness of their region.

3 CHINESE NEW YEAR - THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT | Binondo, Manila The Chinese community celebrates the Chinese New Year with pomp & color through a dragon dance.

10-13 HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA | Clark, Angeles, Pampanga. Watch the awesome hot air balloons fly out as the sun rises in the horizon.

14 HAPPY VALENTINES' DAY! | Monday. Filipino lover's most romantic event of the year!

25 EDSA REVOLUTION ANNIVERSARY | Friday | People Power Revolution Commemorates the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that Filipinos came to known for.

26 PANAGBENGA - BAGUIO FLOWER FESTIVAL 2011 | Baguio City. Also known as the Baguio Flower Festival, it will be the 10th holding of this annual event which will showcase the City of Baguio as a City of Flowers.

MARCH 2011: Best Time to go watch and shoot the awesome Manila sunset!
 
Start of the Donsol Season in Bicol!

9 ASH WEDNESDAY | Philippines. The First Day of Lenten Season in the Philippines

26 EARTH HOUR 2011 | Philippines | 8.30pm-9.30pm. Cities and towns all over the world will switch off their lights for one hour—EARTH HOUR—sending a powerful global message that it is possible to take action on global warming. 

APRIL 2011: The Peak Time in Boracay.

April 9-11 | 3 Days Weekend!

9 BATAAN DAY (ARAW NG KAGITINGAN) | Saturday. Araw ng Kagitingan

18-24 HOLY WEEK! | Philippines. Philippines' most sacred week!

April 21-24 | 4 Days Weekend!

21 HOLY THURSDAY! Commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.
22 GOOD FRIDAY! Commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus at Calvary.

22 MORIONES FESTIVAL | Marinduque. Re-enact the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who speared the crucified body of Jesus Christ.

22 EARTH DAY 2011 | Philippines. A day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment

22 Cutud Cruxificions |  Pampanga. The old tradition of dramatizing the passion and death of Jesus Christ (called Via Crusis) was played out on the streets leading to the crucifixion site before the 1pm Crucifixion. 

24 EASTER SUNDAYCelebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

MAY 2011: National-wide celebration of Flores de Mayo / Santacruzan.

April 30 - May 2 | 3 Days Weekend!

1 LABOR DAY | Sunday. National Labor Day!

1 FEAST OF THE DIVINE MERCY | Sunday | Plenary Indulgence for Divine Mercy SundayThe soul that will go to confession and receive holy communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment!

7-8 CARAMOAN, FIESTA 2011 | Caramoan, Camarines Sur. Feast of St. Michael 

8 HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! | Sunday. An annual celebration to pay tribute to all the awesome mothers!
15 PAHIYAS 2011 | Sunday | Lucban, QuezonAn annual celebration held to usher in a bountiful harvest and smashing good times.

17-19 OBANDO FERTILITY RITES 2011 | Tuesday-Thursday | Obando, Bulacan. Massive numbers of men and women dance towards the town church praying for a wife, husband or a child.

28 NATIONAL FLAG DAY | ManilaStart of the designated flag days where all government offices, business establishments, and private homes are also encouraged to display the flag.

JUNE 2011: Time to show your love for the Philippines by putting a flag on your home, car, and shirts.

June 11 - 13 | 3 Days Weekend!

12 PHILIPPINE'S INDEPENDENCE DAY | Sunday. Commemorates the Independence Day of the Philippines from the Spaniards

19 HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! An annual celebration to pay tribute to all the awesome fathers! 

27-28 PINTADOS/ KASADYAAN FESTIVAL 2011 | Tacloban, Leyte

JULY 2011: Start of the Rainy Season in the Philippines.

11 OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF NEW 7 WONDERS OF NATURE  11/11/11

23-24 BOHOL SANDUGO FESTIVAL 2011 | Tagbilaran, Bohol This festival commemorates the treaty of friendship between Datu Sikatuna, a native chieftain and the Spanish conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi, representing the king of Spain.

26 FEAST DAY OF SAINT ANNE: Celebration of the feast day of the Mother of Mama Mary

31 FEAST DAY OF ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA: Celebration of the feast day of the Father General of the Jesuits. A 30-day retreat follows the celebration. 

AUGUST 2011: The Best Time to go on a wild river ride.

14 UGU BIGYAN's BIRTHDAY SALE | Sunday |  Tiaong, Quezon 48% Discount on Ugu Bigyan's Pottery (discount is equivalent to his age)

15 ASCENCION OF MOTHER MARY INTO HEAVEN | Monday | HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

21 NINOY AQUINO DAY | Sunday. Commemorating the Death of Ninoy Aquino

20-21 KADAYAWAN SA DABAW 2011 | Davao City. This festival gives thanks to the bounty of fruits and flowers as the waling-waling orchid blooms.

August 27-29 | 3 Days Weekend!

29 OLD SWISS INN ANNUAL PRICE ROLL BACK | MONDAY. During Old Swiss inn's Anniversary, the prices are rolled back to the prices when it opened in 1940's. The best wasy to get a table during the anniversary is to collect 12 stamps from their Gruzi mileage Card.

29 NATIONAL HEROES' DAY | MONDAY. Commemorates the "Cry of Pugad Lawin" by Filipino revolutionaries called the Katipunan

SEPTEMBER 2011:The Best Time to go to Divisoria for Christmas shopping and preparations.

8 MOTHER MARY'S BIRTHDAY | Thursday

7-11 26th NEGROS TRADE FAIR!| Manila. The longest running trade fair of the best food, furniture, jewelries and products from the Negros region. Foodies should not miss this annual event :)

11 HAPPY GRANDPARENT'S DAY!  An annual celebration to pay tribute to all the awesome grandparents!  

18 PENAFRANCIA VIVA LA VIRGEN 2011 | Naga City. Bicol Region's biggest celebration is highlighted by a fluvial parade of Lady of Penafrancia carried through the river aglow with floating candles.

24-25 CLOUD 9 INTERNATIONAL SURFING COMPETITION 2011 | Siargao. The biggest international surfing competition in the Philippines held in Cloud 9, Siargao

OCTOBER 2011: Surfing Season in the Philippines.

1 THE FEAST OF ST. THERESE OF CHILD JESUS. Feast of Saint Therese of the Little Flower.

15-16 MASKARA FESTIVAL 2011 | Bacolod. The festival that made Bacolod famous began as an event to inspire the locals to face the hard times with a smiling face, thus masks with smiling faces are worn by revelers who join the parade.

16 WORLD BREAD DAY: Celebration of the World Bread Day.

15-16 LANSONES FESTIVAL 2011 | Camiguin. A grand celebration of the lanzones fruit in the island of Camiguin. 

26-30 DIWALI FESTIVAL | The Festival of Lights. Indian New Year Festival

NOVEMBER 2011: Halloween Parties.

Oct. 29 - November 1 | 4 Days Weekend!

1 ALL SAINT'S DAY | Tuesday

2 ALL SOUL'S DAY | Wednesday

12 45th Days with the Lord Anniversary Mass | Saturday Night. Dazers Mass celebration of the founding of the Days with the Lord. Basta Ikaw, Lord!

22-23 HIGANTES FESTIVAL 2011 | Tuesday-Wednesday | Angono, Rizal. Male devotees carry the image of San Clemente in a procession that features parehadoras, clad in colorful garb and wooden shoes, and carrying boat paddles and higantes (giants) 10 feet tall papier mache puppets.

23-27 8th MAHARLIKA SUNRISE FESTIVAL | Wednesday-Sunday | Roving Festival. The Sunrise Festival is a celebration of arts for service and blessedness held annually in the different regions of Maharlika (Philippines).

24 HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

26-27 KERYGMA CONFERENCE 2011 | Manila | Kerygma Conference. The Biggest Catholic Charismatic Event in the Country

26-28 | 3 Days Weekend!

30 BONIFACIO DAY | Wednesday

DECEMBER 2011: Christmas Season in the Philippines.

4 ANNUAL CULTURAL TOUR OF NEGROS | Saturday | Bacolod. Longest running cultural tour in the country by Ramon H. Hofileña.

8 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION | Tuesday | HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

11 ANNUAL CULTURAL TOUR OF NEGROS | Saturday | Bacolod. Longest running cultural tour in the country by Ramon H. Hofileña.

18 GIANT LANTERN FESTIVAL 2011 | San Fernando, Pampanga. A Show-Off of Kapampangan Pride culminated with a display of Giant Lanterns measuring 18 feet in diameter.

16 SIMBANG GABI. Start of early morning vigil 9 days before Christmas

16 OBLATION RUN | Friday | University of the Philippines. The annual naked run of the full-pledge members of Alpha Phi Omega society is a tradition that started in 1977 to protest the banning of the movie, “Hubad na Bayani,” which depicted human rights abuses in the martial law era. The date honors their international founding day on December 16th, 1925. 

December 24-26 | 3 Days Weekend!

24 CHRISTMAS EVE | Saturday | Special (Non-Working) Day

25 CHRISTMAS DAY | Sunday | Holy Day of Obligation. Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ
December 31 - January 2 | 3 Days Weekend!
30 RIZAL DAY | Friday. Commemorating the Death of Jose Rizal
31 LAST DAY OF THE YEAR | Saturday. Celebrating the Turn of the year.