The Ati-Atihan Festival is held annually every January in honor of the Sto. Nino (Infant Jesus), concluding on the third Sunday in the island and town of Kalibo, Aklan, the Philippines.  Then name "Ati-Atihan" means to be like "Aetas" who were the primary settlers of the Panay Island, where Aklan is situated. The Ati-Atihan Festival consists of tribal dance, music, accompanied by indigenous costumes and weapons, and...

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The Dinagyang Festival is the "Queen Festival" of the Philippines.  It is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City held every fourth Sunday of January.  It is a festival in honor of the Sto. Nino and to celebrate the arrival to Panay of Malay settlers and the subsequent selling of the island to them by the Atis. The Dinagyang Festival is the "First Philippine Festival" declared by the international press...

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The Sinulog Festival is an annual festival held every third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Maasin City, and Misamis Oriental in the Philippines.  The festival commemorates the Filipino people's pagan origin and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism. Sinulog is a dance ritual in honor of the miraculous image of the Sto. Nino.  The dance moves two steps forward and one step backward to the sound of the drums....

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If you visit the Philippines, you will surely be offered to taste "tinolang manok" or chicken cooked in broth and with vegetables.  This dish is similar to that, however in the Cordillera Region, this dish is prepared which doing a ritual so they will know their tribe's fate based on the course of the action.  The name of the dish from the word "pikpik", which means to beat slightly.  This is the way the chicken...

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This is another exotic dish in Cordillera Region, the Philippines, which is actually a salted pork placed in an earthened jar and then kept underground to age.  This dish is not served alone but it is mixed with other types of dishes such as meat and vegetable dishes to enhance its flavo...

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This dish may come from a small insect but wait, it's not your average insect dish because the price is a bit of expensive here.  Abuos is ant-eff caviar that is very tasty.  The disk looks like legumes, some people eat this raw which others prefer this to be saute'd .  You can find them in public markets at Ilocos and they placed on leave...

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Lots of restaurants in Pampanga, the Philippines serve this dish, which is a very popular Kapampangan delicacy.  Kamaru are actually mole crickets that are abundant in Pampanga and because of that the locals made a very good job in serving them as a dish.  The mole crickets are prepared by deep-frying or cooking it "adobo style...

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This dish is not crickets this time, but these are June bugs, which is very common in Nueva Ecija, the Philippines.  This is prepared in adobo if meant to be eaten as a viand or an appetizer if it is fried.  It is also best paired with beer if you plan to have a beer drinking session with your frien...

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If you will have a look at this soup, it actually looks like a regular meat but behold, this dish is made with bull testicles or penis of the ox or bull.  The dish is believed to be a great and effective aphrodisiac for people who have tried i...

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This is another exotic adobo dish that you can try in the Philippines.  Uok is a beetle larva, which is an exotic dish in Angono, Rizal, the Philippines.  This is served with rice and tomatoes and will surely fill in your hungry stomach once you taste i...

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Frog legs are very common in some parts of the world, however what makes this dish different in Pampanga, the Philippines is how they prepare it.  Betute Tugak consist of deep fried frogs that are stuffed with minced or ground por...

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Tamilok are mollusks, which is known as woodworms.  This is served raw or in kinilaw-style (soaked in vinegar with onions, garlic, chili peppers, and calamansi juice).  This gives you an oyster type of taste and textur...

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Balut is very popular to the locals and as well as the tourists of the country.  Every night you will hear vendors on the street shouting, "balut" for its customers.  Balut is a fertilized egg of a duck that ranges from 16 to 18 days old.  This is eaten with salt and vinega...

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Bibingka is a most sought after kakanin during Christmas Season traditionally served with salabat and sold alongside Puto Bumbong.  It is a round rice cake made with galapong, sugar, and coconut milk.  It is cooked in a banana leaf-lined clay pan.  with coals underneath and on top.  It is topped with salted duck eggs or itlog na maalat and kesong puti.  Once cooked it is brushed with butter, and is...

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Puto Bumbong is traditionally made from a special variety of heirloom sticky or glutinous rice called Pirurutong which has a distinctly purple color, soaked in salted water and dried overnight and then poured into bumbong or bamboo tubes and then steamed until done or steam rises out of the bamboo tubes.  It is served topped with butter or margarine and shredded coconut mixed with sugar.  It is a favorite among...

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