5 Makati City Festivals You Won't Want To Miss

Just like any Filipino community, Makati City is home to various annual festivities that depict the its colorful culture and tradition. Read on to know 5 of these exciting celebrations.

More often than not, travelers book a hotel accommodation in Makati only when they need to attend a corporate event. For most of us, the city is just a place of towering skyscrapers. But what we don't know is that Makati has a lot more to offer. Just like any Filipino community, Makati is home to various annual festivities that depict the city's colorful culture and tradition. Among these festivals are:

1. Caracol Festival
Through the passage of Resolution 351, this has been an official festival in Makati that pays tribute to Filipino resilience. The name of the festival was derived from the Spanish word for “snail”, a shelled creature that symbolizes the people’s efforts to combat difficulties. Caracol Festival invites the spectators in merrymaking as the participants parade with their masks and nature-inspired costumes. This takes place during the last Sunday of January and is considered as Makati City’s version of Rio de Janeiro’s Mardi Gras.

2. Xong Di Festival
The city Makati holds the Xong Di Festival to celebrate the brotherhood between the Chinese and Filipino communities. It aims to strengthen the bond of the two Asian countries by highlighting their cultural similarities. The main attraction of this event is the parade of ethnic costumes and accessories, showcasing an impressive blend of Philippine and Chinese designs. Watch out for this spectacular festival a few days after the Chinese New Year.

3. Bailes delos Arcos
Bailes Delos Arcos is one of the most exciting festivals that entices many tourists who book for Makati hotels. Barangay Poblacion holds this annual feast every 29th of June in honor of Virgen Dela Rosa, St. Peter, and St. Paul. This is a much-awaited event because the festival involves the participation of young ladies who train for a year for the so called “Dance of Virgins”. They offer this amazing performance in a kind of pledged devotion to the patron saints.

4. Likhang Kamay Festival
If you love buying Filipino products, you should visit the exhibits of Likhang Kamay in Makati City. This is a yearly trade show that has been instrumental in the discovery and development of various native handicrafts producers. It usually features regional goods that champion local culture, which include pottery, woven materials, and wood carvings. Every year, the organizers and tourism department promote this event for broader participation and exposure.

5. Belen sa Makati
As early as November, Makati radiates the vibrant Yuletide season as it commences the Belen sa Makati Festival. During this time, the city's business district is adorned with giant creches and colorful lanterns. The entire stretch of Ayala Avenue that comes very festive with effervescent Christmas lights is a sure delight to everyone. With the unparalleled grandeur of the event, these wonderful spectacles will never fail to get visitors in the holiday spirit.

Undeniably, Makati is more than just the business capital of this country. With a number of feasts that it celebrates, the city has its fair share to the Philippine customs and traditions. So the next time you reserve an accommodation in Makati, make sure to witness one these festivities.

What to Do in Makati, Philippines: A Guide

If you look at the concrete structures and numerous hotels in Makati, Philippines like Guijo Suites, it is hard to imagine the country's central business district existed once upon a time as an airport runway surrounded by swampland. These days, the streets are filled with people, are lined with buildings that stretch up to the sky, and packed with upscale malls, restaurants, and all the other usual business and pleasure suspects that one can think of. It truly has gone a very long way and is now undeniably urban from head to foot.

As such, for tourists coming to the city, this means there is no shortage of fun things to do and places to discover while you stay. It doesn't matter what you fancy doing because there is something for everyone for sure.

Here is a shortlist of what to do in Makati to get you started:

Visit the Ayala Museum in Greenbelt

Do you like things golden and shiny? Head to the Ayala Museum, the one place that houses the best gold collections in the entire archipelago. Soak in some culture while marveling at the beauty of ancient artifacts such as sashes, earrings, and masks that belonged to early Filipinos. There is truly nothing like it. How can it be when you are talking about stuff that were around for the past 700 years? You can find items made of gold similar to the drawings in the Boxer Codex. The codex refers to a 16^th century book containing drawings of ancient Filipinos across the country. Do you want to know the best part of all this? The museum is inside a mall so there is no hassle in getting there.

Get ready to shop

Speaking of malls, what is an urban metropolis without a mall? It seems Filipinos are fond of shopping, the huge concentration of malls around a given area attesting to the fact. It is no different in Makati; it is a shopping paradise, with one mall connected to another, and another, and another. Try going to Greenbelt, Landmark, Glorietta, and SM Makati to find a variety of items from the branded ones to the more affordable stuff. As mentioned, these malls are connected via bridges, so shoppers easily move from one place to another. You better come in comfortable footwear.

Hit the weekend markets

They say you really get to know a place and its people by visiting its market. If this saying is true then Makati is undoubtedly a real fantastic place. Its two weekend Markets, the Salcedo and Legazpi weekend markets offer the best in the metro. Brimming with good food, fresh and organic produce, homemade crafts, international cuisine and more, these markets definitely hit the spot. Make sure to stop by if you are staying in hotels around the area like GuijoSuites Makati.