Festivals in Bantayan Island

Palawod Festival in Bantayan

Fishing is the main industry of Bantayan Island, and it is this that inspired Palawod, a festival celebrating the island's marine bounty. The word palawod means to go farther out to sea, (magpalaot in Tagalog), where fishermen go for the big haul. The festival takes place in Bantayan, the largest of the three towns and the center of trade, arts and culture. The date coincides with the feast of the town's patron saints, Peter and Paul, Christ's foremost fishers of men.

The festival had townsfolk dancing in the streets, a la Sinulog but garbed in marine motif such as shell skirts, giant clam headdresses; chipboard jellyfish and colorful bilaos made to look as carapace.

Palawod is Bantayan's contribution to the Cebu government's efforts to promote the island more aggressively as a key tourist attraction in northern Cebu.

Kinhason Festival sa Santa Fe

Kinhason Festival is celebrated  during the town feast on January 15-16. The Kinhason Festivals shows the different "kinhason" in Santa Fe.

Semana Santa sa Bantayan 

is religious tradition, accompanied by a celebration of the Semana Santa or Holy Week in Bantayan Island. 

     You may heard a lot of Bantayan Islands unique celebration of Holy Week (Semana Santa). It is an amazing to see if you get there in Bantayan.  According to these stories, while Christians all over the world sit quietly and fast in their homes, Bantayanons eat meat (lechon, to be more specific) and hold huge parties during Christendom’s most holy period. Why, exactly, you ask? Well, local historians say that in the 1800s, a papal permission exempted the residents of Bantayan Island from their religious duty on Good Friday. It is said that Bantayanon fishermen usually do not set out to fish during Good Friday. And since Bantayanons usually eat fish, they eat meat on Good Friday, instead. And (luckily, hehe) this tradition survived until this very day.

Isda Festival is celebrated in Madridejos

The town's feast day is celebrated annually on December 8. The Buwad Festivalshowcases the different types of dried fish in the municipality. "Buwad" or "uga" is the Cebuano term for dried fish.