‘Beyond entertainment: Festival of Festivals tells Cordillera stories through culture’ - DOT-CAR RD Ganongan

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — More than colorful costumes, traditional dances and festive performances, the Cordillera Festival of Festivals 2026 will bring the region’s stories, heritage and identity to one stage on Oct. 17.

Now on its fifth edition, the annual festival organized by the Department of Tourism-Cordillera (DOT-CAR) will feature cultural celebrations from across the region, giving visitors an opportunity to experience the Cordillera’s diverse traditions in a single event.

The festival will begin at 8 a.m. at Malcolm Square in Baguio City, with more than 500 performers expected to participate, excluding delegates and their families.

During the Oct. 7 Kapihan, DOT-CAR Regional Director Jovita Ganongan said the festival goes beyond entertainment as each performance carries stories about the history, values and identity of Cordillerans.

“We are telling the world: we are our attire, our dances, our movements and our traditions carry stories that go beyond entertainment. This is storytelling of the Cordillera. They speak of our history, our values, our relationship with our land and our identity as Cordilleran people,” Ganongan said.

She said the event allows the participating provinces and cities to present their cultural traditions while promoting sustainable tourism and giving greater exposure to local identity and crafts.

“We invite everyone to watch, but we hope that they will also listen. We invite them to appreciate our performances, but we hope they will also understand their meaning because we are not just showcasing our culture. We are sharing our identity on our terms with the world,” she added.

Eight festivals, one stage

The festival will bring together cultural performances from the different provinces and cities of the Cordillera.

Abra will showcase the Kawayan Festival, highlighting the province’s resilience, craftsmanship and bamboo-based local products.

Apayao will present the Say-am Festival, a celebration of gratitude, heritage and community expressed through rituals, ancestral songs and shared feats.

Kabayan, Benguet will feature the Bindiyan Festival, highlighting the traditional circle dance that reflects the enduring heritage of the Ibaloi people.

Baguio City will perform the Panagbenga or Flower Festival, drawing inspiration from the story of Bangan, an Ibaloy woman whose selfless offering to Kabunian transformed her into the first Benguet pine or “saleng.”

Ifugao will present Gotad ad Ifugao, featuring the movements of the Bitangnguk and Dinnuya, Hudhud chants, shared meals and the serving of “baya” as expressions of heritage, abundance and communal fellowship.

Kalinga will introduce Pasil’s Tachok-Salip Festival, featuring the banga dance, gongs, chants and coordinated movements reflecting joy, unity and the community’s enduring connection to its heritage.

Mountain Province will showcase the Pasuk-ey Summer Fest, an expression of gratitude and the community’s connection to the land and rice-growing traditions. The festival is rooted in the Manerwap, an ancestral rain-calling ritual.

Tabuk City, meanwhile, will perform Gabbok, a sacred expression of thanksgiving honoring the arrival of a firstborn child as a precious blessing from Kabunyan through rhythmic tongatong, chants, symbolic offerings, and Tadok and Salip dances.

Parade, road closures

A parade will precede the festival showcase, with contingents marching from Harrison Road to Session Road, up to Post Office Park and Upper Session Road.

Ganongan said DOT Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay and representatives of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) have been invited to the event. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong is also expected to welcome the performers and spectators.

Meanwhile, several road closures will be implemented to accommodate rehearsals, the parade, festival activities and dismantling.

Based on the advisory issued by the Baguio City Public Information Office, Upper Session Road, parallel to Post Office Loop and below the Session Road rotunda, will be closed from 5 p.m. on Oct. 16 to 6 a.m. on Oct. 17 for rehearsals and stage setup.

On Oct. 17, the portion of Session Road below the rotunda up to the Post Office pedestrian lane, as well as the section from Calderon Street near Skyworld toward Gov. Pack in front of 7-Eleven, will be closed from midnight to noon for the ingress and setup of the delegates’ area.

The left lane of Session Road beside Malcolm Square toward Porta Vaga, extending to Post Office Park, will be closed from 5 to 7:30 a.m. for parade formation.

The same Session Road sections will be closed from 9 a.m. to noon for the festival program and from noon to 5 p.m. for dismantling.

The festival, Ganongan emphasized, is ultimately an invitation not only to watch Cordillera culture, but to listen to the stories behind it.