Explore the City & Neighbouring Towns
Sorsogon City is an amazing place, with breathtaking scenery, continuously improving and an endless array of possibilities for adventure. There’s no better time to explore Sorsogon than right now.
The Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Council
c/o Fernandos Hotel
N. Pareja St., Bitan-o
Sorsogon City, Philippines 4700
Official website : http://www.sorsogontourism.com/
PLACES of INTEREST:
KASANGAYAHAN FESTIVAL
Every October of each year, the Kasanggayahan Festival is celebrated in Sorsogon in commemoration of its foundation as a Province. It is a province-wide festival, with the center of activities in Sorsogon City.
Kasanggayahan is an old Bikol word, the meaning of which can be gleaned from this short verse:
“When the fields are green
and the grains are golden;
when the machines work well
and all business prosper;
when the birds in the sky chirp freely
and men on earth are peacefully happy;
in Bikol, it is KASANGGAYAHAN,
meaning, a life of prosperity.
The Kasanggayahan Festival, which is listed by the Department of Tourism as one of the annual Philippine Festivals, is celebrated with a series of cultural, historical, religious, agro-industrial and economic activities, showcasing Sorsogon as abundant agricultural products, particularly food and decorative items from the versatile Pili tree, which is indigenous to the province.
The Festival is highlighted by the inimitable Pantomina sa Tinampo. Pantomina, a traditional Bikol dance, is known as a dance of love and courtship actually the dance of the doves or sinalampati ( salampati is Bikol for dove), as it was then known before the coming of the Spanish colonizers.The Pantomina, or pantomime, imitates, in dance, the courtship and lovemaking of the doves. But it is only in Sorsogon where this is danced in the streets, or tinampo, by droves of eager dancers wearing colorful native attire, as they cajole and coax tourists and onlookers to join in the fun and merrymaking, partake of tuba, the native coconut wine, and lechon, or roast pig, carried by dancers as they swing and sway and do their love dance down the streets of Sorsogon.
PILI FESTIVAL
Sorsogon Citys premier annual festival is the Pili Festival which also coincides with the City is traditional patronal fiesta, June 28-29, in honor of its patron saints, St. Peter and St. Paul.
The Festival showcases the Pili Tree, which is indigenous to Sorsogon, and known hereabouts as The Majestic Tree because of its many industrial, commercial, and nutritional uses from its roots, trunk, branches, leaves, sap and fruit. Appropriately costumed young people dance down the streets of the City during the Festival, demonstrating in dance, the many uses of this remarkable tree.
The Pili Tree is particularly well-known for its nuts, which are much sought after by confectioneries in different parts of the world. It is reputedly better in quality than almonds or macadamia nuts. The pulp that coats the hard shell that, in turn, encases the Pili nut, can also be eaten, as is, by either dipping it in patis, the native fish sauce, or in sugar, after softening it in warm water. It is also served as dips for meat or fish, or even as dressing or icing for pastries or fruit preparations and other desserts.
During the Pili street dance, which highlights the weeklong Festival, the costumed dancers move to the rhythmic, hypnotic beat of native percussion instruments.
PADARAW
The Padaraw Festival of Bulan which is celebrated every Fiesta time (May 30th) expresses a community’s gladness and thanksgiving for God’s bounties and gifts, properly expressed in ethnic music and creative street dancing.
Padaraw is derived from a purely Bicol term which is commonly used by local fishermen. The root word is “daraw”. Daraw refers to the groups or schools of fishes which is collect in one part of the sea. This daraw becomes a convergence point for the fishermen to make their catch for the day. Padaraw therefore, refers to unity.
Padaraw also expresses not only the bounties of the sea but of the plains and mountains as well, for which the people of Bulan give thanks to God.
BUTANDING ARIBA FESTIVAL
To welcome the return of the Butandings, which usually come in droves during this time of the year, and to officially signal the opening of another high adventure season of Butanding Interaction, the Butanding Arribada Festival is held every first week of March in Donsol town.
The peak Butanding Interaction season is March, April and May each year. This means, it is again open season for eager visitors or tourists to go Whale Shark/Butanding watching or, for the more intrepid and adventurous, who want to cavort with these biggest fishes in the world up close, swimming with the awesome, but gentle Butandings of Donsol.
A long fluvial procession just at the mouth of the long and winding Donsol River where a large pod of Butandings usually converge at this time of the year, highlights the Festival.
GINUBAT FESTIVAL
Ginubat, an old Bikol word, means a place that was raided. Historically, many places in the Bicol Region, including what is now the Municipality of Gubat, were frequently raided by marauding Moro pirates who looted and burned these places and took their men, women and children as captives.
The people of Gubat, however, chose to downplay this dark past and, instead, harked back to a popular folk story about a time in the past when a large number of giant fishes raided the seaside village. Although this phenomenon alarmed the townsfolk, it was also considered by many as actually a blessing because it meant food for the villagers. This, according to old folks, is how Gubat got its name the raid of the fishes.
The Ginubat Festival is held every second week of June, which also coincides with the Gubat town fiesta, highlighted by a street dance down the streets of Gubat town by colorfully-attired dancers.
HINAY-AY
A celebration in honor of St. Michael the Archangel, the town’s patron saint. It features an agro-trade fair, food festival, beauty pageant and a Mardi Gras.
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