Balayan Batangas Foundation Day

The New Year is a celebration of the end and beginning of a year based on the lunar calendar. The holiday celebrates the events of the past year, while ushering in good fortune for the upcoming year. The lunar New Year celebrations in the Philippines are approached with the same exciting outlook as they are in Mainland China.

Eidul Adha is a Muslim celebration that honours the willingness of Ibrahim to obey Allah and also commemorates the end of the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). In 2019, Eidul Adha falls on Monday 12 August. President Duterte has signed Proclamation No. 789 to confirm the holiday throughout the country.

According to Islamic traditions, Allah tested the prophet Ibrahim’s obedience by commanding him to sacrificially slaughter his first, and then only, son Ishmael. Both Ibrahim and Ishmael’s willingness to obey Allah’s commands was rewarded by Allah sparing Ishmael’s life, but also led to the birth of a second son, Is-haaq.

In the Islamic calendar, Eidul Adha is celebrated on the tenth day of Zhul Hijja. As the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, the date to celebrate Eidul Adha constantly changes. It is the duty of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) to inform the Office of the President on which date in the Gregorian calendar it should fall.

Muslim Filipinos attend a mosque to pray special prayers for the occasion and to listen to a sermon. It is important to wear new clothes or the best ones available. Depending on the region, Muslim families, who can afford to, either buy a live animal to sacrifice (such as a goat, cow or sheep), or whole or large portions of meat to share around at the feast. It is important that this meat is shared with the poorer members of the community.

National Heroes Day in the Philippines is a public holiday to honour and remember the country’s National heroes.

These heroes are the men and women in Philippine history whose acts of courage enabled the Philippines to grow as a nation. Whilst National Heroes Day celebrates both known and unknown heroes, a National Heroes Committee was set up in 1995 to recommend those who should be counted as ‘National Heroes’. Following certain criteria, they found a select group of people who, they believed, should be honoured for their deeds. These were:

• Jose Rizal
• Andres Bonifacio
• Emilio Aguinaldo
• Apolinario Mabini
• Marcelo H. del Pilar
• Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat
• Juan Luna
• Melchora Aquino
• Gabriela Silang

Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio were two of the main proponents against Spanish rule. As a result, both were also given their own special days commemorating their lives and deeds.

National Heroes Day in the Philippines is held every last Monday of August. This date was chosen as it marked the beginning of the Cry of Pugad Lawin in 1896, the start of the Philippine revolution against the Spanish colonisers.

Filipinos celebrate National Heroes Day by attending local commemorations (e.g. parades, wreath laying at shrines, etc.). As it is a day off for most workers, people often spend the rest of the day with family and friends at parks, shopping malls and other public areas. Small firework displays may also be held during the evenings in some local areas.

San Juan, Batangas Founding Anniversary December 12, 2020

Celebration of Fiesta De Los Toros at Nasugbu, Batangas on December 1-3, 2020.

Celebration of Padre Garcia’s Kabakahan Festival 2020 on December 1, 2020.

Calatagan, Batangas Founding Anniversary December 16, 2020

All Saints’ Day in the Philippines is usually celebrated on the first and second day of November. In the Philippines, this holiday is often referred to as Undas.

All Saints’ Day is an important day in many Catholic countries. As the Philippines is the world’s third largest Catholic country, the country celebrates it with gusto. Traditionally, All Saints’ Day marks a Roman Catholic holiday that celebrates saints who were not awarded their own feast days. It also marks a celebration of the lives of the deceased.

All Saints’ Day in the Philippines is celebrated similarly to the way the holiday is marked in other former Spanish colonies like Mexico. On November 1st each year, people flock to their family plots in cemeteries across the country. They also use this holiday to hold a family reunion where groups of an extended family gather together.

The day is filled with music and food. There is also prayer and religious traditions. At the end of the day, people will often camp overnight in the cemetery to pay their respects to their dead relatives. Visitors remark that Filipinos are remarkably at home among their dead ancestors.

Filipinos are known for having great respect for their dead. To prepare for Undas, families will visit the graves of their ancestors before the holiday to clean up the area and perform maintenance. During the holiday, people will decorate the graves with flowers and candles. The cemeteries will come alive during this period.

In addition to these traditions, other Catholic traditions are also observed. Many cemeteries will hold a special mass during the day. The rest of the day is often marked by periods of prayer and the recitation of the Litany for the Dead.

This holiday is a mix of the observance of the dead and a joyful holiday. Families bring plenty of food and drink for their dead relatives. Some believe that the deceased are taking part in the feast alongside the living. While most bring food directly to the cemetery, other families will also leave food at home on altars for any relatives who aren’t buried in the cemetery.

The Philippines is the largest Christian country in Asia. As a result, much of the country shuts down over these two days. Offices and schools both close during this period.