Kannawidan The Ylocos Festival

Now on its 5th year, the Kannawidan Ylocos Festival had already established its identity as the prime festival of the province. The festival was launched in 2008 under the leadership of then Governor Deogracias Victor B. Savellano to commemorate the 190th foundation day of Ilocos Sur as separate province through the approval of a Spanish Royal Decree on February 2, 1818.

 “Through this “Kannawidan Ylocos Festival, we are preserving and sustaining our old traditions, attractive products and practices as we are also promoting our tourism industry,” Savellano said.

According to Governor Luis Chavit Singson, the province has a rich heritage and unique cultures that need to be preserved for the next generations. However, many of these traditions, songs, dances and other Ilocano cultures were not already familiar to the younger generations due to the influence of the television, computer and internet. The 2012 Kannawidan Ylocos Festival opened with a concelebrated mass held at the St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral followed by a procession of the patron saints of the 40 parishes including the images of Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary around the province’s capital city in the afternoon of on January 29.