Taguig Festival

The fiesta is a big part of Filipino culture, a regular celebration to give thanks to their patron saint, or recognize their rich culture, tradition, and favorite products.

Sta. Anang Banak Taguig River Festival

The festival is a grand fluvial parade in honor and devotion to the patroness Saint Anne. The Sta. Anang Banak annual river festival rises from a wide spectrum of traditionally religious, yet culturally folk and mythical beliefs and practices that make up the unique ethnic base of the people once called "taga-giik".

The festival is kept alive by a four-century-old legend of the miracle of the "banak" fishes that happened every July for countless years. The faith tells the town's patroness St. Anne gathered thousand of schools of Banak fishes in the river near her church to give to the "taga-giiks" and the people on the lakeshore towns whose farmlands are drenched with the floods of the season and are hard up due to poor harvest from stormy seas. Every part of the legend is highlighted in the festivals events.

"Karera ng mga Bangkang Lunday" (native boat race)

This regatta depicts the race of fisherman from all over to get the biggest "banak" catch. Participants dressed in distinctive colors come in groups of five where four are rowers and one is a drummer. The fastest rowers get cash prizes.

"Boys and Girls Festival Parade"

Boys and Girls Festival Parade is revelry of high school students going to the streets to hang or offer fish cone streamers as gifts to happy house owners along the way. Happens amid band music and cheers from 8:00 am, passes through the main streets of the four barangays comprising the parish and through the bridges of Tuktukan and Bambang.

"Banak Fish-Cone Tossing Ceremony" (tossing of fish-cone streamers tied to bunches of balloons)

Led by the Mayor, the coterie of city and barangay officials, the parish priests and the townspeople, this symbolical tossing reminds people of the schools of banak literally jumping out of the waters to fill the fishermen's boats. This miracle fired the generosity that made fishermen toss their hoard to throw to the fishermen their offering of fruits and delicacies. The flying fish cone streamers are a symbol of hope for real live fishes to return to Taguig River below.

"Pagodahan"

With the fish cone streamers aloft and flying, the revelers board their bancas the band start playing, and the Pagoda of the Patroness St. Anne leads the fluvial parade. From a special wharf behind St. Anne's Church, the Pagoda goes up all the way to the mouth (wawa) of Laguna de Bay and returns down to Ususan. A fluvial parade of what is used to be; people from all cultural backgrounds coming in themed boats depicting the culture and stations in life to join the river festival in honor of St. Anne, the giver of the fish banak. There is exciting exchange of gifts called "Pasubo", people in the pagoda and the revelers at the riverbanks toss or throw to each other gifts of fruits and food items like boiled eggs, balut, itlog na maalat, and various kinds of native delicacies. Be alert or be surprised with an apple crashing to your head.

"Pandangguhan"

Just as soon as the fluvial parade participants touch ground,the dancing procession of the image of St. Anne automatically starts, sending one and all to the sway of music or to catch more pasubo gifts from happy homeowners along the major streets of the parish. Devotees in native costumes dance to the music of the pandanggo or the wasiwas depicting how women light the riverbanks to guide their fishermen home. The general public is free to join the fun with or without the candles or lamps.

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Taguig City is proud of their festivals. People of all walks of life flock the place just to be part of its history. It is their way of giving thanks for the blessings and to the rich culture and history they have.