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The celebration gives travelers a ‘glimpse of Cordillera’s living traditions and creativity’ as the region’s provinces come together as one

BAGUIO, Philippines – The morning drizzle did little to dampen spirits as the sound of gongs, drums, and cheers filled the streets of Baguio on Friday, October 24. Dancers in full traditional attire moved with energy and pride, their performances a celebration of Cordilleran culture.

It was a day when the region’s diversity came together as one, the Festival of Festivals 2025, now on its fourth year in the City of Pines.

The parade began at Harrison Road and made its way up Session Road, featuring the major festivals of the Cordillera provinces: Abra’s Kawayan Festival, Apayao’s Say-am, Benguet’s Adivay, Ifugao’s Gotad ad Ifugao, Kalinga’s Bodong Festival, and Mountain Province’s Lang-ay Festival, alongside the Panagbenga Festival of Baguio City, and the Matagoan Festival of Tabuk City.

Each contingent brought to life its people’s stories of peace pacts, harvests, thanksgiving, and resilience.

Apayao’s Say-am Festival bursts to life on wet pavement — dancers leaping in rhythm, their movements echoing gratitude, harvest, and harmony with the land. All photos by Mia Magdalena Fokno/Rappler

Tabuk City’s Matagoan Festival roared to life with warriors and maidens in rhythmic unison.

As the beating of the gangsa echoed through the air to signal the opening of the event, the scene was both festive and reverent.

“The strength of the Philippines lies not only in its landscapes but in its peoples,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who graced the ceremony with Department of Tourism-Cordillera Regional Director Jovita Ganongan, Representative Mauricio Domogan, and Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan.

Baguio City’s Panagbenga Festival blooms with dancers swaying like flowers in the wind, celebrating resilience, renewal, and the enduring spirit of the City of Pines.

Ganongan described the Festival of Festivals as “a grand showcase of the region’s premier celebrations, offering visitors a glimpse of Cordillera’s living traditions and creativity.”

The event, she added, fosters regional pride and invites more travelers to explore beyond Baguio — to the mountains and communities that make up the Cordillera identity.

Kalinga’s Bodong Festival had elders and warriors beating the gong in solemn rhythm, honoring the ancient peace pact that continues to bind their people in strength and unity.

Each performance told a story. From Ifugao’s Gotad, where dancers reenacted the Hudhud chants and harvest rituals, to Kalinga’s Bodong, a thunderous declaration of unity and peace punctuated by their Guinness World Record–holding gong ensemble.

Benguet’s Adivay painted a portrait of mountain resilience, while Abra’s Kawayan honored the strength and flexibility of bamboo. In Apayao’s Say-am, the joy of thanksgiving flowed like the rivers that feed their farmlands, and Mountain Province’s Lang-ay evoked gratitude and renewal through the sacred Begnas ritual of Bauko.

Ifugao’s Gotad ad Ifugao bursts with power and grace, a dance of gratitude and honor, echoing the timeless spirit of the rice terraces and the proud heritage of the Kadangyan.

Mountain Province’s Lang-ay Festival graces the streets with dancers in red and white moving in harmony, echoing the spirit of Begnas, unity, and thanksgiving that binds the highland communities.

The five-day celebration also features a regional crafts and products exhibit at Malcolm Square, running until October 26. Visitors can experience traditional weaving, woodcarving, and local delicacies that tell as much about the Cordilleras as the dances and songs themselves.

This year’s festival also commemorates Indigenous Peoples’ Month under Proclamation No. 1906, Series of 2009, which honors the 1997 signing of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, a law that protects ancestral lands and celebrates cultural diversity.

For Secretary Frasco, the day was a proud affirmation of Filipino identity. “Each festival was distinct, evincing a diversity that makes you appreciate the richness of our culture,” she said. “The authenticity of the performances — the age-old rituals, the stories, the movements — remind us of how deeply our heritage runs.” – Rappler.com