One little known annual event among UP students is actually the lighting of LB campus' gigantic…read moreChristmas tree. I know it doesn't sound so much like the lantern parade or any other extravagant display that's usually associated with the season, but believe me, this event isbsbutle yet heartwarming. Happening usually on the first few days of December, seeing the gigantic tree erected is usually an omen most welcome to locals and students. Mainly it means the holidays are approaching! Now, match that with the initial lighting of it? You'Ll be surprised how this tower of lights will both warm your hearts and make your eyes sparkle in anticipation of joyous days ahead!

I think majority of Filipinos don't even have the luxury of time to be able to appreciate the arts…read more For some, living is a day-to-day struggle, and even for the educated masses, it is far too common to be stuck with a 9-5 that sucks the soul out of our idealism and desire for beautiful things. I think much of my local culture experience mainly comes from the once-a-year event that is Pasinaya, the Cultural Center of the Philippines' open house event, and kickoff to the show season. During Pasinaya, performers from all over the country gather at the CCP's grounds to stage different shows -from folk arts to Western classical music and art performances. The different stages and theaters in the CCP complex plays host to different forms of art and expression, such as poetry,film dance, music, drama, theater and visual art. What is interesting though is they have a pay all you can, see all you can system with minimum donations to the performers ranging from anything as low as P50, to special VIP fast passes for P3000. Last year, I was able to catch performances by such high profile performance troupes Bayanihan Dancers and the Madrigal Singers. I also attended workshops for intaglio printing, flamenco music and a performance anthology of Cordillera dances -- all in one day, so you can imagine how exhausted I was after the days' events. I just wish the CCP would extend this event to more than just one day, because there is simply way too much going on and it is impossible for one to experience all the great offerings of this open house festival. Some acts and performances are too good to miss.

If you're looking to be inspired by how vibrant and alive the Philippine arts scene is, be sure to…read moreattend the Pasinaya Open House Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)! The festival was established to bring in more audiences to the CCP, especially those who don't usually go to the venue or who have no idea what it is for; as well as to showcase what its resident companies and artistic groups have to offer for the year. Usually held ever February, you can have your fill of different performances from WORLD-CLASS FILIPINO GROUPS such as the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Ballet Philippines, and Bayanihan Dance Company, among others, for as low as Php 50 to Php 300. Those who regularly attend know that lines get ridiculously longer each year, so come early. Prepare to spend the whole day if you want to immerse yourself in as many performances as you can. Yes, you may bring your kids, family, and or your barkada--this is best experienced with a group, to chat with while moving from one venue to another.

The Philippines is home to dozens of festivals scattered all over the archipelago, each one trying…read moreto one up the other with pomp and parade. You've got Cebu's Sinulog, Iloilo's Dinagyang, Bacolod's Dinagyang, and Aklan's Ati-atihan just to name a few. They've all got their own character and it's sad not being able to see them all. One way you can get a little taste of all those colorful festivals from the provinces is with the annual Aliwan Fiesta. The gist of the whole thing is that Aliwan aims to proudly showcase the different cultural festivals from across the Philippines, whether they are from big or small cities. Held every April or May, Aliwan is a city dweller's chance to see what all the fuss about fiestas is about. Just watching the participating contingents give their heart and soul is really inspiring. Don't forget to bring your camera and make sure your battery's fully charged. With all that color and all that action going on, you're going to be shooting for a while.

What a wonderful experience. Thank you and I enjoyed those exotic food. Marvelous! I will always…read morereturn and refer you all for those who's seeking the best customer service and fun.

Oh I cannot begin to express my love for balloons!!! Ever since I was a kid, I have always been…read moreattracted to balloons and amused by hot air balloons. There's something about them that makes me all giddy and happy when I see them. I was thrilled when I heard of the Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival. I first went in 2011 and have been going almost every year since then. The main event here, of course, would be the hot air balloons from different countries... some in the usual balloon shapes, while others in unique forms like a house, a dog, a rocket, etc. I was also lucky enough to get to ride one myself in 2013 when my (now) husband arranged for us to get on one balloon where he ended up proposing to me all the way up in the sky. What an experience!!! Besides the hot air balloons, there are many other shows to watch here too. Some of my other favorites include the Skydiving exhibition and aircraft formation flight. Clark is just a short drive away from Manila, making it easy to get to. They have lots of food vendors there, so don't worry about bringing food with you. Just make sure to go early in the day or later in the afternoon to get parking and spot to sit. (Tip: bring a mat in case you run out of seats to sit in. It's actually better to sit on a mat on the field so you have a better view of the exhibits in the air).

Celebrate the most festive of seasons the best way you can imagine with a parade of lights, floats…read moreand every single extravaganza UP students could practically think of. Particularly famous for the crazy floats and costumes that go along with it, UP's famed annual lantern parade is something you definitely should put into your list during the holiday season. What to expect? Well, tons of creativity to begin with. UP Diliman is home to some of the most creative minds our nation can probably develop, that said you can truly expect some crazy and cooky ideas for floats and themes here. From transforming lanterns to those presenting a more socially conscious ideology, expect it all here but with a dash of color at the UP Lantern parade!

Angono is still near enough to be considered part of the Greater Manila Area. After all, the main…read morehighways of Ortigas Extension and C3 will take you to Angono in only roughly an hour. It is nice to know that in Metro Manila's backyard is a quaint little town with its own fiesta that city dwellers can attend in order to get a taste of the true Pinoy fiesta spirit. I have always heard of Angono's Higantes Festival, and being from Bacolod where the colorful and widely popular Masskara festival hails, I had very high expectations. Historically, they say that the Higantes Festival parodied the rich hacienda barons of old, a tradition which has been carried out up to this date for the sake of art and remembrance. However, my first Higantes experience was a little disappointing. Though everyone seemed to be having quite a lot of fun during the Higantes parade, I was a bit disappointed because the "giant" papier mache figures that they paraded around town were festooned with corporate logos and insignia. In a way, the supposedly traditional and highly artistic forms of creativity among the Angono residents were being used as mobile billboards. I just wish culturally significant events such as the Angono Higantes parade would be free from commercial and capitalist propaganda. I was a bit disgusted at how the giants on parade were overshadowed by the distracting logos of the corporate sponsors who probably financed the creation of the said giants. I hope the next Higantes Festivals should respect the tradition and the art of the celebration so that it doesn't get tainted with greedy and opportunistic capitalist practices.

Spending an afternoon at the National Museum of the Philippines turned out to be one of the most…read morefascinating ways I could have learned more about my husband's country of birth. And honestly, I was not fully prepared for just how vast and layered Philippine history actually is. The National Museum complex is enormous and covers multiple museums and collections ranging from natural history, anthropology, archaeology, fine arts, indigenous cultures, colonial history, biodiversity, and the many different regions and peoples that make up the Philippines. Walking through the exhibits, you quickly realize the Philippines is not just "one culture," but a massive tapestry of languages, traditions, histories, and influences shaped by centuries of trade, migration, colonization, resistance, and survival. One of the most famous highlights inside the museum system is Juan Luna's *Spoliarium*, an enormous and emotionally powerful painting considered one of the greatest treasures of Filipino art and nationalism. Even tourists unfamiliar with Philippine history usually stop in awe when they see the sheer scale of it in person. Outside the museum, I was especially fascinated by the massive "Tree of Life" structure inside the National Museum of Natural History. It stretches dramatically upward through the center of the building and symbolizes the incredible biodiversity and interconnected ecosystems found throughout the Philippine islands. It is honestly one of the most visually striking museum interiors I've seen anywhere. Now, fair warning: If you visit during school hours, prepare yourself for children. Children everywhere. Apparently Filipino schools absolutely love bringing students here for field trips, and during our visit there were enormous groups of excited students moving through nearly every section of the museum. Honestly though, it was actually kind of heartwarming seeing so many kids actively engaged and learning about their own country's history. The museum itself is very large, and once you start walking, you are going to be walking quite awhile. One small complaint I did have was the lack of seating areas throughout some sections. At a certain point my husband and I found ourselves quietly scanning corners for open benches like exhausted archaeological explorers searching for buried treasure. Still, the experience was absolutely worth it. I loved wandering through the exhibits with my husband, listening to him explain little pieces of Filipino culture and history to me while I absorbed it all through fresh eyes. It felt less like simply visiting a museum and more like gaining a deeper understanding of a country and people I have grown to love deeply myself. The Philippines truly is a beautiful country -- not just in scenery, but in history, resilience, culture, and spirit. And this museum does a wonderful job reminding visitors of that.

During our travels in the Philippines, we made the most of our time visiting the cultural gems…read moreManila has to offer with the National Museum being one of them. My non-Filipino husband was interested in learning about my heritage which inspired my cousin to put together a day trip to the museum. The National Museum is comprised of multiple buildings which are: *The National Museum of Fine Arts *The National Museum of Anthropology *The National Museum of Natural History All are within the same compound but if you plan to visit all 3 buildings be prepared to wear comfortable shoes fit for a day's worth of walking. I also recommend bringing a bottle of water if you can. The museums are free to the public and we managed to visit two out of the three buildings (Fine Arts and Anthropology). We briefly visited the Fine Arts building and were impressed by the massive murals steps within entering. The most moving and impressive works come from one of the country's renowned painters, Juan Luna. His masterpiece, Spoilarium, is one not to miss. It was also interesting to read up on his life which oddly had a dark and ill-fated twist. The Anthropology building has fascinating curated material with discovered relics spanning the country. Some of the oldest material on exhibit dates from 5 BC. Currently artifacts continue to be uncovered/donated and the collection perpetually grows. Overall, the Anthropology museum was our favorite. We left very impressed with the exhibits. Aside from the common touristy things to do, don't discount the National Museum. The information and history behind each piece will leave you culturally enriched.

One of the most celebrated and well known festivals in the Metro is San Juan's Fiesta. Being a…read morepredominantly Catholc country, festivals celebrating saints is commonplace. San Juan for instance, commemorates the birth of St. John the Baptist, who is known in the bible as the one to baptize Jesus Christ. The fiesta is celebrated on June 24th of every year. If you were to describe the San Juan Fiesta in one word, it would be 'wet'. Or would 'drenched' by a better term? Either way, since you're commemorating John the Baptist, the tradition is to baptize other people as well. This entails dousing passersby and commuters with generous amounts of water. Games involving the use of water are also common during the festival, which include but are not limited to water balloons, water guns, and even plain pails. If you do business in the area and have no plans of getting wet, avoid going here at all costs on June 24.