7 Must-Haves Every Pinoy Should Get For Philippine Festivals

Festivals in the Philippines or Pista are celebrated throughout the year in unique and culturally rich ways in various parts throughout the country. These celebrations involve a nostalgia of our history and reliving our local traditions. We celebrate it with locally cooked food, parades, dances, native games o palaro and the blazing heat of the sun! Before we give you the list of Philippine Festivals in over 7, 107 islands, here are some must-haves and tips for making the most out of the celebrations.

7. Pamaypay (fan)

We are a country residing near the equator. Aside from braving the harshest of typhoons, we also stand strong from the lively heat of the sun! A pamaypay is a definite must-have for being outdoors for a long period of time while enjoying the activities in our local pista.
 
When there’s a crowd, a pamaypay is a life-saver for being able to produce wind from our own “arm” power. The pamaypay has been in existence for centuries and is a proof for being an indispensable source of coolness in our forever tropical country.

6. Tubig (Water)

When we are caught in the middle of the crowd, a pamaypay isn’t enough to relieve us from the heat of the weather. A jug of water or bottled water is a great way of quenching our thirst especially when you’re enjoying the Pista. With a bottle or a jug of water ready on-hand, you won’t have to leave the festivities.

5. Towel & Extra Clothes.

Activities in our Pista take the whole day and continue through the darkness of the night bedazzled with all those lanterns, bonfires, and Christmas lights (even when it’s not Christmas). A bimpo (towel) is a must-have for the day to take off the sweat and that sticky feeling on your skin especially when you’ve taken an active part in the activities.
For your survival throughout the day and into the night, extra shirts are helpful since it would help you feel fresh and enjoy the night’s Perya (carnival) with your loved ones.

4. Payong (Umbrella)

Whether it rains or shines in our crazy and colorful environment, an umbrella is a must-have to hold near you throughout the day. It is also great for sharing with your friends or even a stranger who is also enjoying the festivities. An umbrella will help you worry less with your condition under the weather and engage yourself more with the flares, hoops, and vibrant displays of the shows and parades.

3. First-aid Kit

When somebody accidentally steps on your toe or you’ve felt nauseated from all the movements of the crowd throughout the day, Band-Aids and some pills makes a big difference on whether you would be completing the rest of the day’s events.
 
Be sure to break away from the crowd first and ask for help from a companion in case you couldn’t do the first-aid yourself. If the injuries are serious, ask help from standby first-aid teams, if there aren’t any, there’s always the local kapitan (barangay captain) to guide you to a clinic.

2. Extra Everything: Mobile Load, Smartphone/Cellphone Battery, Power Bank & Money

It pays to be ready. An extra mobile load is a must-have since people would usually go to a “panic-loading” mode when they know that they would be needing extra load to communicate with everybody. Be sure to load just before the days are up, this gives you an extra step forward and be able to register yourself to a load “promo”.
A good old extra cellphone battery comes in handy in case you don’t have a power bank with you. With an extra cellphone battery, you won’t have to attach something to your phone while using it.
TIP: The traditional cellphone (non-smartphone) is the best bang for the occasion since you wouldn’t have to replace the battery or recharge as much and could withstand greater dangers such as an accidental dropping while walking throughout the streets or detecting your instructions with its basic sweat-friendly buttons.
An extra money in your wallet, especially “barya” — coins and smaller bills help a lot when you need to buy something on the side of the road. If in case you forgot the towel, water, and pamaypay, local merchants are there to provide you with the goodies.

1. Camera

Memories are priceless. From our Kodak-an moments, we’ve evolved into the use of our cellphones as our own collection of photo albums.
In combination with the extra cellphone/battery must-have, you could use your smartphone for the photos and the basic cellphone for communication to be efficient on saving your battery.
Be sure to have your memory cards ready for the multiple shots you’ll take with your loved ones and a case to hold your phone better when things are already jumping with the party.
Fiestas are a major part of our identity being Filipinos. We’ve evolved with the times but would hold no barriers on showing our local pride with displays of our history and culture. These are the top must-haves for surviving and living out the Philippine Festivals in our country. Next, we would be giving you out the list for the Philippine Festivals in the country and their locations.
If we missed anything, be sure to add your must-have in the comments!