Categories
Laguna

Anilag Festival

Anilag Festival is the cultural and harvest festival in the province of Laguna, Philippines held every first week of March. It is a week-long festival. It is touted as the mother of festivals in the province as it is marked with the gathering of all localities into one celebration, showcasing their history, tourist spots, agricultural bounty, cultural heritage, and locally made products of the province. It is also called the mother of harvest festivals.

History of Anilag Festival

Anilag Festival is derived from and a shortened form of the phrase ani ng Laguna, which means harvest of Laguna. It began as a festival of bountiful harvest in 2004 within the gubernatorial tenure of Teresita S. Lazaro.

However its name was changed to La Laguna Festival, the so-called Festival of Life, under the term of Emilio Ramon Ejercito III in 2011. The change was done to give a nod to the historical name of the province in Spanish colonial times. Its schedule was also moved from March to April. It won the Best Tourism Event of the Year in the annual convention and general assembly of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines in the same year.

Then in 2016, it was rebranded back to Anilag Festival when Ramil Hernandez became governor through a resolution by the provincial board issued in November 2015.

It was cancelled in 2020 because of coronavirus threat.

Anilag Festival Activities

Activities for Anilag Festival include the colorful float competitions and the cultural street dance contest and showdown participated by municipalities and cities of Laguna. Other events include beauty pageant, e-sports, fluvial parade, thanksgiving mass, fireworks display, art shows and contests, exhibits, car and motor shows, entertainment and cultural shows, art competitions, talent competitions, cook fest, live bands, cosplays, and many more.

Here are other highlights.

Ginoo and Binibining Laguna

Ginoo and Binibining Laguna translate to Mr. and Ms. Laguna. It is a beauty pageant for males and females.

Trade fair and booth

The trade fair has become a mainstay in the festival schedule. This is where all towns and cities display the talent, skills, inventiveness, and craftsmanship of their people through the various locally made products being displayed. In addition, each local government unit joins booth competition where plum prizes are given away to display areas that have the best decorations.

How to reach Laguna

You can book a flight to Manila, and from there get a ride to bus terminals of Cubao or Pasay. Buses take regular trips to Laguna daily. The trip is about a hundred kilometers and would take at least two hours. Tickets would cost less than a hundred pesos. You can also take a taxi for a quicker but costlier trip.

References

Anilag Festival Summary

NameAnilag Festival
CelebrationCulture, Harvest
Contact049 501 0464
CountryPhilippines
DateFirst week of March
Duration1 week
Established2004
Facebookweb.facebook.com
FounderTeresita S. Lazaro
Instagramwww.instagram.com
LocationLaguna
OrganizerProvincial Government of Laguna
Previous NameLa Laguna Festival, Festival of Life
Twittertwitter.com
Websitewww.anilagfestival.ph