Bonga Festival is a cultural, harvest, and religious festival in Sibonga, Cebu, Philippines every August 9. It celebrates bountiful harvest in the largely agricultural town, and its timing coincides with the feast of St. Philomena, the second patroness of the municipality.
It is one of the fest that is part of the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.
What is Bonga Festival
The name of the fest comes from bonga, a word that means fruit and can also mean harvest.
According to a source, it mounted its eleventh year feast in 2015 and thus it may have been launched in 2005.
The fest is organized to promote local products and a symbol of the town’s gratitude for the agricultural harvest.
Devotion to St. Philomena
St. Philomena is the second patroness of the colonial-era church in Sibonga, also known as Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza Church. The feast day of St. Philomena is arguably more popular than of the church’s titular, Our Lady of the Pillar, whose feast day is held every October 12.
The church began as a visita of Carcar. Later, it was annexed to Argao Church when the latter became a parish in 1733.
Sibonga Church became a parish in 1830.
The church’s construction occurred within the term of Bishop Santos Gomez Marañon and carried out by Fr. Prospero Puerto, parish priest between 1833 and 1868. It was completed in 1907.
Bonga Festival Activities
In addition to religious services (procession, novena, and mass), the centerpiece of Bonga Festival is the street dancing competition participated by students of secondary schools in the municipality.
How to reach Sibonga, Cebu
From Mactan International Airport of Lapu-lapu City or sea ports of Cebu City, take a ride to South Bus Terminal. Then you can take a bus to the town of Sibonga.
References
- Bonga Festival. Cebu Provincial Government. Retrieved October 17, 2023
- Vince Harlan Chua. Bonga Festival organizers aim for diversity. SunStar. August 16, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2023
- CEBU FESTIVALS (SIBONGA, CEBU). Cebu Provincial Tourism Office. June 19, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2023
- Simbahan ng Sibonga. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. October 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2023
Bonga Festival Summary
Name Bonga Festival Celebration Culture, Harvest, Religion Church Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza Church Contact (032) 266-8457 / 0917 3943181 Country Philippines Date August 9 Email lgusibonga@gmail.com Established 2005 Facebook web.facebook.com Location Sibonga, Cebu Organizer Municipal Government of Sibonga Patron St. Philomena Religion Roman Catholic
| Name | Bonga Festival |
|---|---|
| Celebration | Culture, Harvest, Religion |
| Church | Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza Church |
| Contact | (032) 266-8457 / 0917 3943181 |
| Country | Philippines |
| Date | August 9 |
| lgusibonga@gmail.com | |
| Established | 2005 |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Location | Sibonga, Cebu |
| Organizer | Municipal Government of Sibonga |
| Patron | St. Philomena |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |