Festivals: There is always a festival ongoing somewhere on Siquijor Island every week-end. Every small Barangay (village parish) has a festival at least once a year and Siquidonians don’t need much of an excuse for a party!. Festivals range from a very local affair in the afternoon with friends (usually Sunday) which would comprise a ‘lechon’ (roasted pig) at someone’e house to a full on 2-3 day street party with marching bands, basket-ball tournaments many pigs on the spit and the obligatory cock fighting derby and beauty pageant. Filipino’s are very welcoming and if you are known to them in any small way you will be invited to the party. If you are invited you will treated like royalty and offered some lechon and vegetables to share with all others in the village or barangay. This is normal custom on Siquijor; you are not expected to bring anything to the party but a bottle of Emperador (Brandy) or Tanduay Dark (Rum) and a bottle of ‘1.5’ (coke or sprite) would be welcomed! Offering straight money would be frowned upon but if you said to the host ‘please go and buy a bottle of alcohol from the store’ (a bottle of rum or brandy) and you wait and take a shot with them and leave the rest you will be a friend forever!

Here is a limited list of the larger events in the region (including Dumaguete) known as of Feb 2015, there are bound to many more:

Dumaguete January

Lazi  – May 15 and 16

Maria  – May 24 and 25

Enrique Villaneuve  – July 15 and 16

San Juan  – Aug 27 and 28

Siquijor  – Oct 3 and 4

Maite  – Dec 8

Baha Ba’r 12 km Hill Run and 5km Fun Run – December 6th (watch for news – prize event)