Katunggan Festival is a cultural, mangroves, and religious festival in the town of Tudela, Cebu, Philippines every December 8. Its festival calendar is filled secular activities and are timed in conjunction with the feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the town.
Katunggan Festival is part of the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.
Etymology
Katunggan Festival comes from the word katunggan, meaning mangrove forest.
History of Katunggan Festival
In the past, the town celebrated the Balanghoy Festival. Its name originated from balanghoy, referring to starchy root crop that is also known elsewhere in the world as yuca.
During the time of Greman “Jojo” Solante as mayor, Balanghoy Festival was replaced with Katunggan Festival. Katunggan Festival is a celebration of the richness of its natural resources through its mangrove forests. One of the most popular is the Villahermosa Marine Sanctuary that is found in Barangay Villahermosa.
Located in the shores of Poro Island, one of the three major islands of Camotes, the town is home to wide diversity of mangrove species and associates. Its sea forests in “muddy, rocky substrates” are dominated by the presence of Rhizophora, Avicennia and Sonneratia species.
Additionally, Camotes is a protected area that is covered by Republic Act 11038, also known as Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018.
The festival also puts the spotlight on the local fishing culture and livelihood that these forests provide to the community, particularly the fishes and shells that are found abundant in the area.
Devotion to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Christian missionaries erected a church in the town of Tudela, a settlement that was called Tag-Anito, during the Spanish colonial period. It was renamed to what it is known presently by the initiative of Fr. Ramon Alegria after a place in Spain.
The church was a visita of Poro Parish. It became an independent parish is 1904.
How to reach Tudela, Cebu
From Mactan-Cebu International Airport, take a ride to North Bus Terminal. From there you have two options. One, you can take a ride to Pier 1 and buy a Oceanjet Fast Craft ticket that will take you directly to Poro, Camotes.
Two, you can take a bus to Danao City Port and take a Jomalia RORO or Express ferry to Consuelo Camotes. From Consuelo Port, you can arrange for a transfer to the nearby island of Poro where the town of Tudela is located.
References
- Roger Vallena. Garcia misaksi sa Katunggan Festival. SunStar Cebu. December 10, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2025
- Niña Mae C. Oliverio. Mangroves in Tudela brgy: Protecting those that give protection. Cebu Daily News. May 17, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2025
- Kaiser Jan Fuentes. Pasigarbo sa Sugbo 2023 contingents. Sunstar Cebu. August 27, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2025
- Edgardo Lillo, Archiebald Malaki, Steve Michael Alcazar, Raamah Concepcion Rosales. Composition and diversity of Mangrove species in Camotes Island, Cebu, Philippines. June 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2025
Katunggan Festival Summary
Name Katunggan Festival Celebration Culture, Mangroves, Religion, Church Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish Church Country Philippines Facebook www.facebook.com Founder Greman Solante Location Tudela, Cebu Organizer Municipal Government of Tudela Patron Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Previous Name Balanghoy Festival Religion Roman Catholic
| Name | Katunggan Festival |
|---|---|
| Celebration | Culture, Mangroves, Religion, |
| Church | Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish Church |
| Country | Philippines |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Founder | Greman Solante |
| Location | Tudela, Cebu |
| Organizer | Municipal Government of Tudela |
| Patron | Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
| Previous Name | Balanghoy Festival |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |