Kaamulan

Kaamulan Festival
BeginsFebruary
EndsMarch
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Malaybalay City, Bukidnon
Years active50

Kaamulan Festival is an ethnic cultural festival held annually in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon in the Philippines from the second half of February to March 10, the anniversary date of the foundation of Bukidnon as a province in 1917. It is held to celebrate the culture and tradition of the seven ethnic tribal groups—Bukidnon, Higaonon, Talaandig, Manobo, Matigsalug, Tigwahanon and Umayamnon—that originally inhabit the province.[1][2]

Kaamulan comes from the Binukid word "amul" meaning to gather.[3] Kaamulan is gathering for a purpose—a datuship ritual, a wedding ceremony, a thanksgiving festival during harvest time, a peace pact, or all of these together.[4]

Kaamulan started as a festival on May 15, 1974,[3] during the fiesta celebration of the then municipality of Malaybalay. A town official thought of inviting some indigenous people to town and made them perform a few dance steps at Plaza Rizal to enliven the fiesta celebration.[5] The celebration however proved very popular and together with national coverage the Kaamulan festival has become the regional festival of Northern Mindanao, as declared by the Regional Development Council of Region 10 on September 16, 1977.[6] Kaamulan was formerly held in the first week of September but in 1996, it was transferred to the present date to synchronize it with the foundation celebration of the province until in 2014 it was moved to the month of August in light of the 100th Founding Anniversary of Bukidnon. The festival was cited for having a great potential to be included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.[7]

  1. ^ "GMA goes ethnic in Bukidnon's Kaamulan fest". Archived from the original on March 28, 2009.
  2. ^ "Bukidnon Tourism". Archived from the original on May 15, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  3. ^ a b "PCIJ Podcast Interview with Bukidnon Ethnographer" (PDF). Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
  4. ^ "Kibawe town wins in Kaamulan festival".[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Bukidnon heritage kept alive". March 18, 2002. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010.
  6. ^ "Kaamulan Festival, Malaybalay City". Archived from the original on February 8, 2009.
  7. ^ "Kaamulan Festival 2014 Bukidnon Moved To August".